


The Small Things in Rebelling

by birdwhythis



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Genre: Bickering, Hinted past abuse, I'm not sure where am i going with this, I'm sure there will be plot somewhere, Masturbation, Multi, Optimus is keeping secrets, Or bad, Original Character(s), Probable AU, Probable Canon Divergence, Ratchet and Optimus as amica endura, Ratchet needs a break, Self servicing, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, cause I doubt this will happen, dubious twin connection, idk - Freeform, lots of fluff, nothing yet - Freeform, only like once, some - Freeform, sorry changed mind about the poly, they are all friends tho, this might turn out good, updating happens randomly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2018-09-24 14:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9764252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdwhythis/pseuds/birdwhythis
Summary: With Optimus back and investigating the Council, Ratchet is convinced by him to leave Cybertron and live with Bumblebee and his team. Where he is surprisingly reunited with Wheeljack. Soon, Optimus' plans come to light. New alliances must be made. Risks must be made. And everyone must figure out their place in it all.





	1. Chapter 1-Welcome Back

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably a boring chapter. Just introduction and wondering what the fuck is Optimus doing.

“Ratchet?” Bumblebee’s voice was mixed with confusion and shocked. His furrowed eyebrows said that as well.

“Can we stay for a little while?” Ratchet gestured to Undertone who was unattached and standing behind him, silent as ever. And way behind to where Windblade stood.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Bumblebee nodded, “But what about Cybertron? The council?”

Ratchet’s shoulders tensed, “it’s for the best that we stay away from there for a little while.”

“Besides, Cybertron isn’t the same as here, Bee. I missed the team,” Windblade piped up, her lips turning into an smile.

Bumblebee sighed, “It isn’t anything to do with Optimus?”

Ratchet didn’t want to talk about that. “It always is.”

            “He said he’s working with some ‘old friends’ to investigate the council,” Bee said, gesturing to the air, “who ever they might be.”

            Ratchet sighed, “that’s what he told me too.”

            Bumblebee gave a look that said he wasn’t sure Ratchet was lying or not telling him everything. Ratchet promised himself to have a little talk with his best friend.

            After an moment, Bee said, “you need help bringing anything inside the scrapyard?”

            Ratchet shook his head, relieved that Bee dropped the subject.

            “Is that Windblade?!” yelled Strongarm, coming into view. Her doorwings perked up at the sight of the jet. “Hey Punk! Windblade is here.”

            “Hey,” Windblade called, smiling again, her wings perking up a bit.

            Strongarm walked over to up to them, “Hi…Ratchet.”

            Ratchet nodded his head, “Hello, Strongarm.”

            The red speedster came speeding out an moment later and transformed in front of them. “Windy!”

            Windblade chuckled, cocking her hip to the side and placing her hand on it. “Slick!”

            Sideswipe smirked, “you missed us already?”

            “Of course, slick. I couldn’t miss another morning without the two of you bickering.”

            Strongarm and Sideswipe laughed at that.

            Ratchet looked at Bumblebee, watching his expression. Bee was smiling too, and Ratchet could see the laughter in his optics. It had been awhile since Ratchet saw that, definitely not at Cybertron, unless it was the early days after the war just it was mostly Team Prime and before Optimus died…er…or whatever happened.  

            Sideswipe grabbed Windblade’s arm, “come on, we need to catch up, how’s Cybertron?”

            Strongarm grabbed Windblade’s other arm, “I also have been working on some new techniques I want to show you.”

            “Not before I show her my new moves!”

            “Shut up, punk!”

            “You shut up!”

            Windblade rolled her optics, “don’t worries, there’s an enough of me to go around.”

            They walked off.

            A large crash sounded in the background.

            “Grimlock! I told you to be careful with that!” Fixit yelled.

            “Sorry, my bad,” came Grimlock’s response.

            “My antique fridge,” Denny Clay groaned.

            “Your antique fridge, what about my…”

            “Are you sure about staying here, we are a bit chaotic here,” Bee said with an small smile.

            “I used to share a small base with you, Smokescreen and Wheeljack,” Ratchet paused, “I can’t forget Miko can I?”

            Bee laughed, “no, impossible. ”

            “Have you spoken to either of them?”

            “No,” Bee shifted his optics away from him, looking down at his pedes, “I think at this point, I’m just too afraid and I don’t know what to say.”

            Ratchet nodded, “take your time.”

            Bee looked at him, his eyebrows raising.

            In time, he would understand.

 

            It had been a month since he, Undertone, and Windblade arrived, Ratchet was finally adjusting to the chaos that was Bee’s team. He overestimated how quiet it was on the ship with just Undertone. And even Windblade wasn’t all that chatty all the time. It reminded him a bit of being with Team Prime, but less stressful and serious.

            This was probably the most, he relaxed in an long time. Even after the war and the thing with the council, he never could relax. He always looked over his shoulder. Watched his step. Overworked himself. Here, he didn’t have too.

            Bee was stepping toes around him, allowing Ratchet to do his own thing. After while, Ratchet had insisted that he do a patrol or do something.

            Though he had to step around Bumblebee too. Ratchet sensed the former scout was getting anxious about Optimus and his plan what to do about the council. And as well increasingly curious about Optimus’s old friends who was helping him. Ratchet also knew that Bee deep down knew that Optimus meant well and Bee had his own thing to do with capturing decpeticons but he also didn’t like that he was being kept in the dark.

            _Ratchet was walking around the scrapyard once again, looking around, trying to be familiar with his surroundings. He almost ran into Denny’s collection of, he didn’t know exactly what. It looked like a giant earth squirrel, grinning and wearing a blue vest._

_“Why won’t he tell me.” Ratchet heard Bee’s voice loud and clear. He carefully walked toward the voice, he may have a bulkier frame than most but he definitely knew how to walk and sneak without any sound. He crept and found Bee by the bunker he made himself for recharge, pacing back and forth. He had his servo on his chin and a disgruntled expression on his face plates._

_“Doesn’t he trust me?”_

_Ratchet wanted to inject that Optimus trusted Bumblebee with his life, that Bumblebee was the one Optimus trusted to come back to Earth. But he clamped his lip plates together._

_“What did he mean by old friends? Who are they?” Bee mumbled to himself, biting his lip. “Arcee? Ultra Magnus? Smokey? Then why wouldn’t he tell me that.”_

_The kid was smarter than most people would think. Optimus would have no problem telling Bee if it was member was of team prime._

_Bee rubbed his wrists, pacing some more. “Jazz? Prowl?_

_Ratchet figured if it was them, Optimus would also told him._

_Bee pressed his digits to his temples. “I wish he would just tell me.”_

Ratchet remembered later back at his ship. 

           

            _“When are you going to tell him!” Ratchet glared at the mech on the screen. “He’s getting annoyed and worried that you don’t trust him.”_

_“He should know that I trust him.” Optimus’s voice was calm and leveled, like most of the time._

_“He still needs to know, Optimus,” Ratchet grumbled, raising his arms, “You need to tell him at some point.”_

_“I know,” Optimus said._

_Ratchet took a breath, “Why haven’t you yet?”_

_Optimus looked at Ratchet sadly, his optics dimming a bit, “I don’t know how he would react.”_

_“He won’t be happy, I can tell you that,” Ratchet said._

_Optimus nodded, looking down._

_“I can’t say, I’m happy with your choice either, Optimus.”_

_“I know Ratchet, but I don’t know. He’s changed and we need to make a difference on Cybertron.”_

_“By the pits, I know that. I know he’s your best choice. I know that Cybertron needs to be changed. I just-,” Ratchet’s voice trailed off. He looked away from Optimus._

_“It won’t end like last time, I’ll make sure.”_

_“I hope you’re right.”_

_“Has the council contacted you yet?”_

_“I don’t know, I started blocking their messages. With my luck, they probably put a bounty on me.”_

_“From what I heard from Bumblebee on how he met Drift, I would not doubt that. But I’m still glad, you took my advice and left Cybertron.”_

_“I should have done that a long time ago.”_

_“No, you shouldn’t have, old friend. I care about you, and I fear if you didn’t until now, you face worst treatment than being a bounty hunter.”_

_“I know, I just wish I wasn’t in their control, following their rules for as long as I did. Just stepping aside. Following orders.”_

_“I know, old friend”_

_“And I wouldn’t have until I found out you were alive, Optimus. I wouldn’t have. You gave me hope that Cybertron can still changed.”_

_Optimus sighed, “I hope so too. Just stay with Bumblebee for now. He and his team are the only ones I fully trust other than you.”_

_“I wouldn’t say the only ones.”_

_“For now.”_

_Ratchet’s shoulder slumped, “Just tell him soon. Bumblebee is suspicious that I know what you’re up to and he’s not wrong. I don’t like keeping this from him.”_

_“I will soon. But he might not trust me after this.”_

_“It will be hard for him but he will still trust you. He has too.”_

_Optimus smiled, “Thank you, my amica endura.”_

_Ratchet shivered at the words. It’s been awhile since Optimus had called him that. Even when they were on back at Earth with team prime, he rarely called Ratchet that especially when the others were around._

_“You’re welcome, Optimus,” Ratchet finally said, “I better let you go.”_

_“Very well, I’ll talk you to soon,” Optimus nodded with an small smile. He hung up. Ratchet sat there for an moment, rubbing at his temples. He felt someone touched his arm and he looked down at Undertone. Ratchet could see the worry in the mini-con’s optics._

_“I’m okay, Undertone,” Ratchet smiled and reached over to pat the mini-con’s shoulder. “I’m just not sure if Optimus is doing the right thing.”_

            Ratchet still isn’t sure. 


	2. Chapter 2-Watch out for Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ship crashes. Ratchet goes to investigate. Guess who?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to do this last night, but before I could post, it refreshed and deleted.

At the beginning, Bee told him that he didn’t have to come to his team meetings, but Ratchet did. He admittedly that last time he felt like he was a part of team since Team Prime when was on Decepticon Island. Ratchet spent a fair amount of time in a ship with just him and Undertone and he missed being with bots.

They weren’t Team Prime, but Ratchet was growing fond of them. Strongarm, Slipstream, and Jetstorm liked asking him about old war stories. Sideswipe annoyed him at times, but the mech had some spark in him. He reminded Ratchet of Smokescreen. He sometimes tinkered around with Fixit and Denny Clay. They were kinda surprised that a medic turned bounty hunter could do that. Ratchet told him in the war, he had to learn many new things. It was true mostly. Russell thought it was cool that he was both a medic and a scientist. Drift kept his distance but was alright around Ratchet. Sometimes he spouted some samurai stuff that reminded him of those ninja movies, Jack, Raf, and Miko sometimes watched back at the base. Which he still thought was ridiculous. He still got along with him. And Grimlock was loud and sometimes but Ratchet liked the mech well enough.

“Okay, team…,” Bee started.

“Is this necessary? There hasn’t been any decepticon activity in weeks,” Sideswipe complained, crossing his arms. He was leaning against the Alchemor.

“I know that, but that can change any moment,” Bee grumbled, shooting the red mech a glare.

“Besides, every time we say that, decepticons will just show up,” Grim said.

Ratchet snorted. That sounds about right.

Strongarm commented, “and it’s still smart to still do patrols just in case.”

Bee nodded, “Strongarm is right.”

“Do we have any word on Optimus?” Strongarm asked.

Bee stiffened, “Not that I heard of.”

“Well…awkward,” Sideswipe drew out the word slowly.    

Bee sighed, “he will. I know he would. We just have to wait.”

“That’s seems about all we are doing.”

"Lieutenant Bumblebee?" Fixit looked up from the screen. 

"Yes Fixit?"

"I just received a signal, that a h-hipl chip," Fixit whacked his chest, "Ship!"

"What about a ship?" Bee asked. 

"Crash landed," Fixit tapped a few buttons, "nearby. I keep getting help signals."

"We need to investigate," Bee nodded. 

"It might be a decepticon signal," Drift asked.

"That we need to stop," Sideswipe straightened from his former leaning position.

"Or someone who needs help, it's our job too," Bee reminded him.

"It's still more action that I've seen in awhile," Sideswipe pointed out. 

"More than you will get too," Windblade joked, smirking. 

"Haha funny."

"I'll go investigate," Ratchet spoke up. 

"You don't have too," Bee started. 

"I want to. I've been feeling a bit cramped," Ratchet rolled his shoulders, flinching as it made a pop sound. 

"You know it's been quiet when he's cramped," Sideswipe mumbled. 

"Sideswipe!" Bee said. 

Strongarm whacked Sideswipe's arm. 

"Hey!" Ratchet shouted, :I may be old but my hearing and my aim is good as ever."

"Sideswipe flinched, "sorry sorry."

Bee rolled his optics, "Fine, Ratchet take Sideswipe, Grimlock, Drift, Jetstorm and Slipstream."

Ratchet said, "C'mon, let's go if she or he were injured, they would have bled out by now."

"That's a lame battle cry," Sideswipe commented, "And I had to deal to Bee's multiple fails."

"How about this?" Ratchet said, "Let's go before I die of old age."

"I was there, that wasn't as bad as Bee's," Grimlock mumbled. He was already transformed into dino mode. 

"Hey!" Bee raised his arms, offended, "I came up with one."

"I'll set up a ground bridge," Fixit said.

"Thanks Fixit?" Ratchet said.

 

They bridged to a middle of a forest. 

"Ok, I'll bite, where's the ship?" Grimlock looked around. 

Ratchet said, "Fixit bridged us as close as he can. Ground bridging is tricky." Almost as tricky as building one.

"So that ship is nearby," Grimlock said. 

"It should be," Ratchet said, "Fixit send me the coordinates. It should be this way."

"Are you sure, I don't want to get lost."

"I've never been lost in my life," Ratchet said. He thought about it. He felt lost before. Does that count?"

"So which direction?" Sideswipe asked. He was getting fidgety and impatient. 

"That way," Ratchet pointed northwest and started to walk off. He pushed an branch back and once he let go, it whacked Sideswipe in the face. 

"Hey!"

Ratchet tried not to laugh, "Didn't mean to. You'll live."

Grimlock chuckled.

"Right. I thought that we suppose to be finding a ship," Sideswipe huffed. 

"Relax, Sides," said Grim.

"Hold on, I think," Ratchet looked up at the sky, dimming his optics a little at the brightness. He caught a glimpse of smoke. Not good. 

"Smoke," Ratchet started to jog toward the trails. He could hear the others running after. He was pretty sure without looking back that Grimlock walked into an tree and broke it. 

He looked around for humans, he couldn't find any evidence of him. But finally, he saw a ship crashed into a brunch of trees. The front half was mashed and dented. Smoke billowing up from the front. Trees were twisted and bend and snapped underneath. One of the trees went through the window. 

"Holy frag me," Sideswipe stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping.

Grimlock lifted an servo to his face, "that doesn't look good."

"Well, don't just stand there! Move!" Ratchet ran toward the ship, his medical awakening and blaring. CHECK DAMAGE. FIND SURVIVORS. Ratchet surveyed the ship. He needed to find a door. He went around the ship and finally saw the door. 

"Grimlock, can you break open this door."

"Ratchet, is this smart? To storm in there?" Drift asked, sounding as if he were stating a fact.

His medical coding was telling him yes, that he needed to get in here. 

Grimlock rip the door off the hinges and flung it away. It just went over Sideswipe who ducked. 

"Hey! Watch it!"

Ratchet didn't look back as he ran inside. It was simple and plain.  There were no rooms, it was just a giant room. A small berth. A little washing rack. There was a rack dedicated to um...weapons. Were those bombs? And there were Cybertronian tools were scattered around the floor.

Ratchet started to head to where the tree jutted in. Then he saw a shape move from an corner of his optics. And he felt the blade at this throat, pressing against an energon line.

He froze.

Then the blade was removed from his throat and the blade dropped to the floor with a large cling.

He looked up and saw...Wheeljack.

Which made sense that only him was capable of crashing like this.

Wheeljack was staring at him. His optics were hazy as he was staring. Ratchet wasn't sure that if he was actually seeing him or through him.

"Sunshine?" Wheeljack asked.

"Who is Sunshine?" Grimlock sounded confused.

"I think he meant Ratchet," Drift answered.

"I don't think Ratchet and Sunshine mixed well together," said Sideswipe.

INJURY. FIND. FIX. Ratchet frowned and realized that Wheeljack was holding his side. And energon coated his side, sticking out against the white paint. 

"Wheeljack, let me see your side."

Wheeljack looked down at his side as if just realizing he was injured. He let go. He had a large jagged gash, which was still bleeding. Wires were sticking out as well.

Ratchet also saw his forehead was bleeding. 

He looked and met Ratchet's optics and smiled, "I think I need a doctor, doc."

His optics rolled back and he fell forward.

Ratchet lurched forward to catch him, wrapping his arms around him. Wheeljack was out cold. Ratchet checked him over. He had low energon level, even before he crashed.

"Do you need help?" Drift asked. 

"I'm a medic, I carried mechs heavier than a speedster," Ratchet snapped, "Get his swords and whatever energon supplies he has. Sideswipe, call Fixit for an groundbridge!"

"On it, doc-bot." Sideswipe for once didn't argue. 

"He seemed like he knew you."

"He did, he was on Team Prime with Bumblebee and me."

"Oh."

In the distance, a ground bridge opened. Which was relieving since Wheeljack desperately needed medical attention. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to write the next chapter sometime this week. But then I have class and then I'm not sure when I'm able to update this.


	3. Chapter 3-Dazed and Confused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wheeljack wakes up. He's confused. Doctor Ratchet is back.

Wheeljack onlined slowly. First, consciously. He was alive. That's a good thing. His side was throbbing a little. And He was lying on his back. 

He onlined his optics and stared up at the ceiling. It was a dark blue colour. He frowned. This wasn't his ship. Wheeljack shot straight up, groaning. His helm felt heavy like it was full of bolts, shaking around. His vision spun, everything going blurry.

"Hey! Lay back down, Wheeljack! You just woke up from surgery," a white and orange blur appeared at his side. It sounded exactly like Ratchet. Which was weird. What happened? He felt a hand on his chest, pushing him back down. He allowed himself to be lay back down. 

After an moment, he felt less dizzy and the blur cleared into the distinct figure of Ratchet.

"Ratchet?" Wheeljack asked, his voice sounded raspy. 

"That is my name," Ratchet said, sounding as gruff as usual.

Wheeljack looked around the ship. Was that a mini-con picking up medical supplies? The mini-con turned and looked at him, only giving a slight nod before continuing. Panic raced through him? Where was he? He couldn't find a window. "Did the council get me?"

"What? No, a brunch of trees did."

"Trees?"

"You somehow crashed into a brunch of trees. A tree even crashed through your window. I'm pretty sure one branch jammed into your side. I found wood slices in your wound."

Wheeljack started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ratchet looked confused. 

"I was taken out by a tree."

"First of all," Ratchet waved an hand in the air. It was very Ratchet-like, "It was more than one tree."

Wheeljack laughed again.

"Second, it isn't really funny, you crashed and were seriously injured, you almost bled out before I got there. Thank Primus, that I did," Ratchet said, leaning forward. Wheeljack looked Ratchet up and down. He decided that Ratchet looked good. At least better than he had. And he guessed he meant well. Ratchet always looked good to him. Ratchet right now looked like he was trying to look after himself.

Ratchet's face hovered over his. Wheeljack held his breath. Ratchet shone a light into his optics."

"Frag! Sunshine!" he protested. 

"Don't call me that and that was all part of the routine," was that amusement in his voice? Wheeljack could have swore that corner of Ratchet's mouth was twitching. 

Wheeljack sighed," What's my diagnosis, doc? Am I gonna live?"

"Again, it's Ratchet. And you're going to be fine. I patched you up. There was also a cut on your forehead. Which brings me to my next point," he was gesturing again.

"Hmmm...," a thought occurred to him. That meant Sunshine had to touch him. And he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

"You were so low in energy, it probably felt like you were stuck by a sword instead of a tree branch."

Wheeljack started to sit up again, grimacing at the tenderness of his side. He pressed a hand on it. 

"If you insist on sitting, let me help," Ratchet reached around and wrapped his arm around him, being careful of his side. Ratchet helped ease him into a sitting position, "Nice and slowly, I had to give you a energon transfusion."

"Thanks," Wheeljack murmured. His helm still felt heavy. And Ratchet was still holding him, looking at him like he might topple any moment. He didn't like feeling weak, especially if it was Ratchet.

"Wheeljack? Why are you on Earth?" Ratchet asked, "Was it because?"

"I had little energon and I needed to get some? That's why I was on Earth. I figured I could have found a old decepticon energon mine," Wheeljack nodded. 

Ratchet nodded like that explanation make sense to him so he had to show it.

"And I ran into a bunch of trees. Good job, eh? Good thing you were nearby and remembered your doctor skills."

He huffed, "doctor skills."

"Well yeah, that's what they are."

"Hmph."

Wheeljack chuckled. 

"And of course I remembered, I may be out of practice, but I'm still an doctor."

Wheeljack smiled until something occurred to him,"Lucky, you were nearby. How come you're on Earth? If we are still on Earth?"

"We're on Earth still."

That was relieving. He couldn't go back to Cybertron. "Did the council sent you here."

"Uh, it's complicated."

Wheeljack rolled his optics, "I may have whack my head, but I'm sure I can figure it out."

He felt Ratchet sigh against him, "They sent me here a few months ago."

"And you're still here?"

"Like I said, complicated. I might have left for Cybertron and then decided to go back to Earth."

Wheeljack's eyebrows rose. Interesting. "Without the council knowing or?" He doubted the council gave permission for Ratchet to stay on Earth. 

"I'm sure they can figure it out," he grumbled.

"You left the council. And Cybertron."

"Yeah so, you did a couple years ago without a word."

"Well, that's different."

"How so?"

"You stayed and let the council rule Cybertron."

Ratchet pressed his lip plates together.

"What made you leave?" 

"I..."

"Ratchet? How is he?" an black and yellow mech stepped inside. 

"Bumblebee?" Wheeljack gasped, looking between Ratchet and Bee, confused. 

"He's up," Ratchet said.

"You left Cybertron too?"

"Yeah."

"Is it just you two?"

"I have a team, you can meet them if you want?" Bee said. 

"Sure, why not?" his head was spinning. What were they doing here? Why did they leave?

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Ratchet said, "he's still fairly weak."

Wheeljack glared at him. It made him even more determined. He shuffled forward, let his legs hang over the make shift medical slab.

"Wheeljack..."

"I'm fine," Wheeljack grounded his jaw.

"You can't even sit on your own," Ratchet grumbled.

"You can meet them later," Bee offered.

"And I bet you're starting to feel tired."

He was. He wasn't going to admit that, "I was recharging."

"Yes, but you're still recovering."

Bee was looking back and forth between Ratchet and Wheeljack as they argue, looking unsure what to do. Or if he should just leave. 

"I'm not recharging until I know why you guys are here and what's going on. Who else part of this?"

Ratchet looked down at him and sighed, "And then you'll be a good patient."

Wheeljack smirked at him, "I'll be the best patient you'll ever have, Sunshine."

"I doubt that."

"Lieutenant?" an blue and white femme stepped inside. She looked like a cop. Was she? She glanced at Wheeljack, suddenly unsure. 

"Yes, Strongarm?" Bee asked. 

"Optimus just called, looking for you."

Something clicked into his helm, "Wait an sec, did she just say Optimus? The same Optimus I know? The one is supposed to be dead?"

Bee and Ratchet looked at each other, "I guess, we'll start from there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting tomorrow, I will be back at school so who knows when I will update this fic. Hopefully, once an week. We'll see


	4. Chapter 4-The Bee Team is Distracting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ratchet decides that Wheeljack is well enough to start repairs on his damaged ship. But the Bee team is very distracting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently when I say I'll dunno when I'll update, I mean I'll probably write a whole chapter on paper the next day then take forever to actually type it up and post it. 
> 
> Anyways, hopefully it's an alright chapter. Not much happens.

His ship was worst for wear, that was for sure. The front of it was completely dented and crushed. The front window had a big hole in it. He wondered how big those trees were. He bet the engine needed repairs and the wiring as well. And he wasn't quite if some of the damage from when Bee's team retrieved it from the trees. It was going to take weeks before he can get this in perfect condition, well working condition...workable condition.

At least, Sunshine finally was letting him work on his ship.  _You need to rest, Wheeljack because blah medical reason._ _Your body is still recovering. You don't want to overdo it._ Or something like that. He finally convinced him that he could work on his ship for a couple hours without passing out.

He was making his way there now...with his tag along.

Wheeljack looked beside him where Undertone was walking. 

"So, this is going to be interesting."

Undertone just looked at him, his amber optics unblinking.

"Not much of an talker are you?" Which was an understatement. He hadn't even hear the mini-con speak yet. 

More silence.

He wasn't sure if Undertone can speak. He might an note to ask Ratchet later.

He could see that Drift and his mini-cons were mediating in the distance. Wheeljack thought personally, it was too quiet for him. And the fact, he didn't like being still for long periods of time.

And up head Sideswipe was staring at an TV with Rusty. He wondered for an second if it was something Miko would have watched. He could make out a bright green monster truck and decided that she would have love it. Maybe she was watching it somewhere else. He shook his head. He couldn't think about her without missing her. And he would end up thinking about Bulkhead and miss him too. 

He moved on.

"I really don't see a point in this," that sounded like Strongarm. 

Wheeljack turned and saw that her and Windblade were sword fighting. Well, Windblade looked like she was. While Strongarm was holding it like the sword would attack her at any more. 

"Well, it's important to know all kinds of ways to fight," Windblade told her.

"Yeah, but swordfighting...it's not for me. I'm just too bulky for it," Strongarm bit her lip.

"Not necessarily, I knew a wrecker who was about as big as Grimlock who could wield better than I could," Wheeljack smiled. Good old, Low Runner.

Strongarm looked surprised, "Really?"

"He was the one who taught me a few times," he told her, "I taught a bit to my friend Bulk, he was alright with it." He jutted his chin out, "Your stance is off by the way."

"I'm trying to copy Windblade," Strongarm frowned, looking down at her pedes.

 "But you're not Windblade. Here," he then carefully adjusted her stance.

A few minutes later, Strongarm was better at the holding a sword. Couple more minutes, she knew how to block and some offense moves. Wheeljack was impressed she was a quiet learner.

"I better get back to working on my ship," He excused himself. Maybe tomorrow, he'd show a few more moves. Maybe he'd show how to wield two swords.

"Okay, thank you so much, Wheeljack."

"Just don't tell Sunshine."

She nodded. Pretty sure, everyone knew by now who he called Sunshine.

"You are pretty good with a blade," Windblade complimented.  

"Must be, to get a compliment from Windy," Strongarm crossed her arms and smiled.

"Hey," Windblade protested, "I compliment you all the time."

"Oh, do you."

"I think the blue of your armor matches your optics perfectly."

He left them to bicker/flirt to them. He walked over to where they set his ship, by the Alchemor. Fixit was in the Alchemor, looking through records. It kind of reminded him of Ratchet back at the base. 

"Hello Wheelhack...lack..." Thump. "Jack!."

"Hey, Fixit."

"About to start working on your ship?"

"Yeah."

"With Undertone?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he's a spy for Ratchet."

Fixit squinted his optics, like he was a little confused by that. "A spy?"

"Checking on my well being."

"Right."

"I'm going to go now, see ya around."

"Oh okay."

And then he came face to face with Sideswipe.

"You moved?" Wheeljack frowned, wasn't he just in front of...

"Yeah, like lightning."

"Right."

"Nice ship," Sideswipe looked up at the ship.

"I'm sure there are nicer ones on Cybertron," Wheeljack said. His ship was quite a few years older. He liked that way. It had more personality, "I still her tho."

"Does it...her have a name."

"Jackhammer II."

"Two?"

"The First Jackhammer crashed during the war."

"Do you crash your ships a lot?"

"No...," Wheeljack said and mentally counted. 3? 5? Scrap. Sideswipe doesn't need to know the exact amount.

"Hey! Sideswipe! Catch this!" Grimlock yelled, holding onto what looked like a big rock. He threw it.

Sideswipe ducked.

"Nice one," Wheeljack said as he then caught it.

They both looked at it and then up at Wheeljack, like they couldn't believe what just happened.

"What?" he smirked, tossing it up in the air and then catching it again, "I used to do this back at the old base when Ultra Magnus wasn't looking."

Wheeljack threw it back. At least tried to. But he missed and it knocked into one of Denny Clay's display of whatyoumaycallits.

"Frag."

"My antique toasters!"

"Sorry!" Wheeljack yelped and ducked into his ship. The door was busted but nobody went after him. He looked around. At all of his belonging, that small weathered berth. All of it was misplaced and scattered around. But he was here. His home.

He wasn't sure where he was going to find all the supplies. He supposed he'll have to ask Denny or look around the scrapyard. But he should just figured out the damage and try to repair the small easy damages. He sighed and went to grab his tools.

 

He managed to climb on top of the Jackhammer II to check on the engine. Undertone helped by carrying his tools. Wheeljack had to help him a bit, getting on the ship. He didn't want to know what will happened if he had to tell Ratchet that Undertone got injured helping him out. 

And they worked peacefully for a few minutes...

"Time for a break," Ratchet's voice jolted him out of his focus.

"Frag, doc."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me doc or Sunshine?"

"A few more times."

"Funny, now come down and have some energon."

"I just started working on my ship."

"And it'll be here when you get back."

"But-."

"You need to refuel."

"I'll refuel later."

"You will refuel now!"

"I'll..."

"Now or I'll come up and knock you off that ship and force refuel you."

Defeated, Wheeljack climbed down and stood in front of Ratchet, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Ratchet handed him an small cube. "Remember, small refuellings throughout the day instead of-."

"You already told me this."

"Yet, 'I'll refuel later'," Ratchet used finger quotes.

"I've never been one to follow rules."

"Never were. Now drink."

Wheeljack smiled before taking a sip.

Ratchet watched as he did.

"What's the last time you ate," Wheeljack asked. He remembered times where Optimus had to remind Ratchet to refuel or simply ordered him to. 

"Does it matter?"

Wheeljack held out his cube out to him.

Ratchet shook his helm.

"Just a sip, Sunshine."

Ratchet glared at him and leaned forward, taking an small sip.

Satisfied, Wheeljack grinned at him.

"Shut up."

"Didn't say nothing," Wheeljack drank a little bit more.

Ratchet leaned against the ship and crossed his arms.

Bulkhead and the other wreckers used to joke around and call Wheeljack a brooder. Or said he was in an brooding mood. But looking at Ratchet, he was definitely brooding now. Like something was weighing on his shoulders. Was it something to do with Optimus.

He drained the rest of his cube, "I'm thinking about I will go for a walk."

"What?"

"A walk, it's be nice to stretch out the old t-cog."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Well, I've never been one for good ideas."

"What if you get into trouble...like you always do."

"It's not like I'm heading out to pick a fight with the nearest Decepticon."

Ratchet gave him a look that said that was exactly what he thought Wheeljack was going to do.

"Then maybe you should come and protect me from danger then."

Ratchet wrinkled his eyebrows, "What."

"Come with, even you need a break once in a while."

"Haha."

"Well, I'm going even if you come or not," Wheeljack transformed and drove a few feet, reviving his engine. 

"Fine. Undertone to me." A moment later, Wheeljack heard him transform and drove up beside him, "Let's go."

 


	5. Chapter 5-Live a Little

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wheeljack managed to get Ratchet to go for an drive.They talk. They get deep. They have fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer than the rest. Or at least it felt like when I was typing it up.

Wheeljack drove ahead of him, more like sped ahead of him. Ratchet wondered if he remembered any of the traffic rules. With his luck, they would have reveal they're robots in disguise just by Ratchet yelling that was a red light, you idiot. He guessed from what he could tell, the roads surrounding the Scrapyard aren't that busy.

 **You are going to get us and I mean you pulled over** , Ratchet sent to him over his commlink. 

 **Relax, Sunshine,** was his response. 

**Where are we even going?**

**Wait and find out.**

Ratchet groaned to himself.

Wheeljack ventured off road into the woods. 

**WHEELJACK!**

Ratchet followed. Wheeljack had already transformed into his bot mode and was watching him with his arms crossed. The corner of his mouth was twitching up.

Ratchet transformed and immediately frowned, "Would have thought you picked something other than a Earth Forest."

Wheeljack rolled his optics, "What's wrong with a human forest?"

Ratchet gestured around him, "I can look at this when I stepped a few feet away from the Scrapyard."

"You haven't see anything yet, do you trust me?"

He studied Wheeljack's face, noting the scars that marked his face. There was a glint in his optics. From experience, it meant he was about to stir up some trouble. Or do something questionable. 

"Fine."

"You'll like it."

"If you say so."

Wheeljack laughed.

"Lead the way."

Wheeljack nodded. Ratchet found himself staring at his face again and looked away. 

A few minutes later, they were still walking.

"It should be around here somewhere," Wheeljack told him.

Ratchet gave him a look, "You don't even know where you are going."

"Well, Rusty told me."

"Did he now?"

"Yeah, turn left at the sign through the woods. And bingo, here we go," Wheeljack jogged through a bunch of bushes. Ratchet grumbled and shoved his own way through. 

And came to an lake. He stopped short at the tree line. Wheeljack was already near the lake, turning around to look at Ratchet. His hands at his hips, he gave him an smile.

"Shouldn't we be careful with  _humans_ around?"

"Relax, there's nobody around," Wheeljack said. 

 **I sensed that nobody is around,** Undertone sent Ratchet. 

Ratchet looked the mini-con still attached to his arm.  **We still got to be careful.**

"That's reassuring, anyone can show up and there goes our cover."

Wheeljack rolled his optics.

"Don't roll your optics at me."

"Well obviously, I mean we are not going here," Wheeljack pointed at lake. Ratchet followed his digit toward a hill? An mountain? It was always hard to tell on Earth. Cybertronian mountains were so much big.

"Er..."

"Come on," Wheeljack came up to him and touched his arm.

"I'm not climbing that," he protested.

"We're not. Maybe some time."

"Some time?"

Wheeljack was already pulling him along toward the mountain.

  **What is he planning?"** Undertone asked him.

**I have no idea at this point. Or any time really.**

They were at the mountain. Ratchet reached up and touched the rocks, feeling the grooves.

Wheeljack was looking around. He clamped his lip plates together. Ratchet studied his expressions. He looked confused. Then he just looked determined. Ratchet shook his head and looked down at Wheeljack's lean frame. Then away. 

"It should be around here somewhere, that's what Rusty told me," Wheeljack bit his bottom lip. He shoved aside bushes around the base. "And ah!" He went further up and saw there was this giant boulder pressed against the mountain.

Ratchet opened his mouth to retort.

Wheeljack started to push the rock away. And once pushed side, it revealed a tunnel. Big enough for an Cybertronian to walk through. 

Ratchet stared at him, his jaw dropping. "How did you...Russel figure this out?"

"He told me that he and Sideswipe stumbled upon it, when they were looking for an decepticon," Wheeljack answered. He looked at Ratchet, his eyebrows rising. He gestured for Ratchet to go first, "You first."

Ratchet stepped inside carefully.

Wheeljack followed him and pulled the rock half way so light still shone through the dark cave. Ratchet releashed Undertone so he could beside the two bigger mechs. They both turned on their headlights.

Wheeljack let him through the tunnels. Surprisingly, Ratchet didn't feel that lost even if it was Wheeljack leading him through the tunnels.

"Around this bend," Wheeljack informed him. And it revealed a small pool. It came from the lake, Ratchet guessed. There must been a small pathway somewhere for the water to go through. But something about it seem different. It sparkled brightly. The walls seemed to glitter as well, an silver glint in the rocks. Ratchet looked up the ceiling. There was an small hole and sunlight shone through. It was stunning. It seemed unreal. That Earth had things like this. In an cave nevertheless. 

Ratchet was speechless.

"Pretty eh? Better than I expected."

Ratchet nodded.

"It kinda reminds me of the Crystal Pools back at Cybertron, you know the ones."

"Yeah, I didn't think you would have."

"Appreciate this? It's gorgeous. It reminds me," Wheeljack was smiling, it seemed sad, "of the time me and the other Wreckers went. One of the few times, we just had fun. And relaxed."

Ratchet nodded again.

"What about you, doc?"

"I've only been there a few times, maybe 3 times?" Before the war, Ratchet may have been a well respected doctor and could have gone every cycle if he wanted to. Many doctors he knew back then did so. He chose to bury himself in his work. He'd only been there when Orion had dragged him here.

Wheeljack seemed to consider this infomation, cocking his head to the side. Ratchet = workaholic, probably didn't swim all that much.

"It is really lovely," Ratchet said.

"Hmmm..." Wheeljack jumped into the water. The water came to just over his waist.

"Wheeljack, be careful."

"I am," he reached over and splashed him.

Ratchet stepped back and crossed his arms, "Wheeljack!"

"Come on, Sunshine. The water is fine," Wheeljack splashed the water beside him.

"Somehow I think you're lying."

Wheeljack's smile didn't really help reassure him either. "Live a little, Ratch."

Ratchet clenched his denta together. He could. He was. He ended up sitting on the edge with his pedes in the water. At least the water wasn't freezing.

Undertone always dove in.

"Undertone, be careful," Ratchet warned. Undertone was staying afloat quiet well. He moved his arms and kicked his little legs while lying on his back. 

Wheeljack was grinning at Undertone. He looked at Ratchet and waddled toward him. He leaned his arms on the ledge.

They were quiet for a bit.

"I have a question for you, Wheeljack," Ratchet told him, his voice soft.

"Ask a way."

"Did you ever think about seeing us again, you know Bulkhead, Arcee, and the others?"

"Why are you asking me now?"

"I was wondering that for awhile. I thought now would be a good time for it."

Wheeljack went quiet. Ratchet thought he wouldn't answer.

"Yes, all the time."

"Everyone was really worried about you, when you first left."

Wheeljack nodded, his expression tight.

"Why did you?"

"You know why," he said quietly. He didn't sound angry which was relieving. He had seen the ex-Wrecker angry, it was an force to be reckon with. "The new council took over. I just knew they weren't any better than the last one. They kept blaming us. Putting limits on us. I didn't fight the war only for us to wind up in the same place. So I left. Everyone was willing to let the council to take over us."

"Bulkhead was crushed."

"I know, I couldn't face him and tell him I was leaving."

Ratchet nodded.

"What about you. Why did you finally leave Cybertron?"

"Optimus asked me too. He think it would be safer for me away from the council."

"Just that?"

"I was looking for a way out, a way from them."

"Hmm...."

"What?"

"You're different. Kinda the way you were during the war, the way you were at first. When I left, you were so drained and empty inside"

"Hmph, empty inside?"

"Like tired?"

Did he really? He blinked, "It was an dark time, they didn't want me as a medic. I was tired of war, while the council wasn't great, I didn't want to fight anymore."

"Losing a loved one can do that."

 _Optimus._ Ratchet know that he was part of that. Optimus and him were so close for so long. It felt so wrong, so weird to wake up and know he was gone. And there was nothing he could do about that. He and Optimus were amica endura. And the bond was less strong than being conjunx. He wouldn't die if Optimus died. He still felt the absence. 

Also he hoped the Council would become better. That they wouldn't be so bad in time. Everyone was just so tired of fighting.

"I can't imagine what it's like to lose an conjunx."

"What?" Ratchet snapped out of his thoughts and stared at Wheeljack, wide eyed.

"Losing Optimus as a leader and an conjunx."

Ratchet spluttered a bit. _His what?_ "Optimus and I are not conjunx. We're best friends, that's all."

Wheeljack processed this, "oh."

"We're amica endura to be exact. We made the pact before Orion became Optimus."

"Oh."

Ratchet bobbed his head and looked for Undertone. He was still swimming.

"Why do you think Optimus is going to do about the Council," Wheeljack asked.

"I'm not quite sure what he's planning. I have hope through."

"It might cause another war."

"I know."

"Part of the reason, I left before it was hopeless to fight back."

"With Optimus, there's hope."

"I hope so."

"We'll see then will we?"

"I guess we will."

They went silent again.

"If somehow Optimus manages to fix everything and everyone is happy, what do you think you would do next," Wheeljack asked him.

"Be an doctor."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I miss it. Helping bots get better. Instead of capturing them."

"I guess fixing me must have been great experience."

Ratchet admitted that it feel great to do it. To be useful. To fix. Even though, he rather not see Wheeljack bleeding out. 

"What about you, Wheeljack?"

"I don't know, maybe a engineer. I like to tinker around and built stuff to. Before I would have said explore, but I don't know it'll be nice to stay in one place."

"I see."

They went quiet again. Ratchet reached his hand down and cupped some water. He flung it at Wheeljack. 

Wheeljack jumped and stared at Ratchet in shock. 

Ratchet chuckled, giving him an small grin.

"That's it," Wheeljack went and stood in front of Ratchet. 

Ratchet's eyebrows rose.

Wheeljack grabbed Ratchet's legs. Ratchet froze.  _Oh scrap._ He knew what the ex-wrecker was planning.

Wheeljack pulled Ratchet into the water.

"Wheeljack!"

"You asked for it, Sunshine," Wheeljack said and laughed.

Ratchet frowned. He surfaced and stared the water. Which was at his waist. He scowled and splashed Wheeljack again. "Frag you!"

"Did Sunshine say a bad word."

Another splash.

Wheeljack started to splash him back.

Ratchet spotted Undertone swimming creepily up behind Wheeljack. Ratchet tried not to smile.

Undertone kicked some water at Wheeljack.

"Hey, ganging up on me."

Undertone responded with another splash. 

Ratchet was attacking him as well.

"Not fair!"

"Live a little, Wheeljack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be from Sideswipe's pov because what is consistent pov. Everyone gets a pov probably. At some point
> 
> As well if anyone wants to, leave an comment of who you guys want to see come in, any pairings you might want to see, etc etc feel free to do so. I won't guarantee it will happen. I'll love to know.


	6. Chapter 6-Bad Dreams are Made of This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sideswipe wakes up from a nightmare, but was it a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, Sideswipe's POV

_It was a dream, it had to be._

_At least Sideswipe hoped so._

_He was running which was weird. He preferred driving. But he was dragging something behind him. Not matter what, he wasn't able to move his head to look at what he was dragging. He wasn't able to move. Control what he was doing._

_He was on Cybertron, he was sure of it. The silver streets sparkled and shone in front of him. And the buildings looked familiar. Was he in New Kaon? He was sure he just saw the statues of Optimus and Team Prime. The place where he ran into Strongarm and Bee. It felt like a long time since then. But he knew it couldn't be that long._

_It was dark. And the lights from buildings were blinding. It made him felt dizzy. He missed the scrapyard._

_He heard sirens wailing behind him. Was he being chased?_

_His spark was racing._

_"They're gaining on us," he heard himself yell. His voice sounded different. Like he was on the verge of losing it. He felt panic building in his chest._

_"Just a little bit more, we can lose them," a blue race car drove into his line of vision._

_"Oh frag me."_

_"Relax, I've been chased a lot in my lifetime."_

_"Doesn't help me right now."_

_"Trust me, once we lose them, I know where to get a ship and then we can leave."_

_"Good, because I'm too pretty to-," he heard a blast go off. And then a blaring pain searing across his arm. And he felt himself start to fall as another one goes off in the distance..._

 

 

Sideswipe sat straight up, holding his arm. He felt it burn lightly. He let go and saw his arm was uninjured. He was fine. He looked around the makeshift room he make inside the Alchemor. He wasn't on Cybertron.

His spark was racing. 

He was relieved.

Until he realized.

One thing. That this meant one thing. 

Sunstreaker was in trouble.

He brought his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself.

He felt so shook. It had been years since either he or Sunstreaker had one of those dreams. Had this sort of connection with his twin. Sunstreaker, his twin.

And the more he thought about it. The more it didn't make sense to him.

Sunstreaker breaking the law? Getting chased? Being on the run? That didn't sound like his twin. That sounded like him. The rowdy out of control Sideswipe. Not Sunstreaker, the good pretty one. 

He looked into the mirror, at his reflection. Specifically, at his comm. He had shut off his personal frequency months ago. Just using the frequency the team used. He once decided he was stuck and later when he decided he wanted to stay stuck. What was the point? Everyone probably thought he got arrested or ran off again.

Maybe he should check.

What if Sunny reached out to him?

He reached up to open up the frequency and paused.

What if he didn't?

What if...

He stared at his am. Where Sunstreaker got shot. They're weren't looking to stop and capture him. Just to stop him for good.

And Sunny. He wasn't used to being shot at.

Frag. He wouldn't be surprised if once he got shot his arm, that he didn't note it ruined his paint job. 

And who was he with?

Sideswipe wasn't sure what he was going to do.

Wouldn't he felt it? If Sunny died.

He wasn't so sure.

He felt his spark tightened within his chamber. Suddenly he felt like everything was closing in on him. He needed to drive. 

He bolted out of his room, out of the Alchemor. He transformed once he was outside. And raced out of his room.

He didn't get far until he heard a siren. He knew it was Strongarm.

"Sideswipe! What are you doing?" she yelled.

"Going for a drive."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Yes," he started to slow down anyway.

"Is something bothering you?" That came from above where an slim jet flew above them. Apparently Windblade hear him leave too.

"I know you like driving but waking up in the middle at the night. Missing your beauty sleep," Strongarm's tone was slightly teasing at the end.

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"You can talk to us, slick."

"I won't judge this time around, punk." He still didn't know how Strongarm made the word 'punk' sound endearing.

"Okay," he said after an moment. Maybe they'll assure him or help him to clear his thoughts. Figure out what do with Sunny. He trusted them with his life. Not that he made a habit of telling them that often. But surely, he can trust them to tell them about his brother.

They headed back to the base and sat down in one of the clearings.

"I don't tell many bots this," he started. Both femmes looked at him, their head nodding, encouraging to him to continue, "I have an twin brother."

"A twin?" Strongarm repeated slowly, "another one of you?"

"Yeah me and Sunstreaker, we were born in the same spot, our sparks created at the same time, blah blah blah," Sideswipe rubbed the back of his neck.

"I-I read about them, that they were extremely rare," Strongarm said slowly.

"Yeah, we are. They studied us at first. First part of my life was examined in an lab," Sideswipe explained, wincing.

"Why?" Windblade frowned.

"Our bond. From the start, me and Sunny had a strong bond. We felt even other's pain thoughts, feelings. Everyone was curious about that," Sideswipe told him. He recalled memories of the lab. Some of them good such playing with Sunny. As far as he knew, he and Sunny were the only twins around. Or at least being studied.

From the look on Strongarm's face, she knew where he was going with this.

A memory flashed before him being taking away from Sunny as Sunny tried to hold onto him. Being pulled into another room, empty and white. A mech smacking him. His hand with a rod. Tear burning his optics. But it was nothing was as worse as feeling Sunny's panic swallowing him whole. He tried not to remember. 

"Sideswipe!" Windblade shook his shoulder, jolting him out of his memory.

"Sorry," Sideswipe rubbed at his hand, "As we grew older, our bond fainted and we weren't as interesting." And perhaps it fainted less than they actually let on. "So they sent us off."

Strongarm placed her servo on his back.

"I mean, they had high hopes for Sunny. I was the rebellious one. Sunny went on to being accepted in an Academy, for fine arts. Going to school. I think he was planning on being an model or something."

Sideswipe laughed at himself, "I was the opposite. Getting into trouble. I dropped out of school. Any programs they put me in. Eventually, I just ran off. Away from him."

"Oh Sideswipe," Strongarm said.

"I live in between places with friends. I hadn't talk to Sunstreaker in cycles before I ran into you and Bee. Which brings me tonight."

Strongarm and Windblade looked at him, frowning and furrowing their eyebrows.

"I had a dream, I was being chased by Cybertronian cop drones, I recognized the sirens. It felt so real. It felt like those dreams I had at the back of the lab, where I was sensing Sunny, like I was in Sunny's body."

Strongarm rubbed his back.

Sideswipe swallowed an large lump in his intake, "He got shot in the arm. That's when I woke up. With an pain in my arm." He felt tears built up in his optics. "So I don't know if he's okay and got to safety. Or what's he done."

Strongarm didn't say anything but wrapped her arms around him.

So did Windblade.

"Is there any way to contact him?"

"I still have my old comm frequency I had used on Cybertron. I hadn't check it yet. I'm...scared to know."

"It's okay to be," Windblade told him.

"I know, it just happened so fast. I know I need to try."

Windblade rubbed his arm, "Thank you for telling us."

Sideswipe smiled a bit,"It felt nice telling someone." He started to stand up, "I think I'm ready."

"Do you want us to come?" Strongarm asked.

"For mortal support?"

Sideswipe shook his head, "I'll be fine. It's something I need to do by myself."

 

Back in his room, Sideswipe sat on the edge of his berth. He took a deep breath and turned on his frequency.

It loaded up and informed him that he had over thirty messages.

6 times Sunstreaker tried to use this to call him.

And it doubled with messages from him.

All of them within a few cycle, a few hours at best. The last one a few minutes ago.

He felt so relieved.

He opened them.

**SIDESWIPE ANSWER YOUR COMM. I NEED TO TALK TO YOU**

**ANSWER ME.**

**SIDESWIPE TALK TO ME**

**SIDESWIPE!! ANSWER YOUR FRAGGING COMM**

**ANSWER ME!!!**

**PLEASE?**

**SIDES? SIDES!**

**WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER!**

**SIDESWIPE PLEASE**

**PLEASE!**

**I'M SO SCARED SIDESWIPE**

**ARE YOU STILL HERE?**

Sideswipe called him.

It was only a sec before he heard Sunny's voice, "Sideswipe, is that you?"

Sideswipe closed his optics, "Yeah, I'm here."

"Thank the allspark," Sunstreaker sounded relieved. "I hoped you were okay. I-I wasn't sure at times."

Sideswipe grimaced. He never thought about Sunny feeling his pain. All those times, he'd been on Earth, that he got beaten, knocked out, kicked, crashed, and even decapitated. Did Sunstreaker feel that as well?

"I'm okay," he finally said.

"I was really worried at time, I went to look for you and I couldn't find you.

_I was on Earth._

"I'm fine, but thank Sunny."

"Sideswipe."

"Yeah?"

"I'm in trouble, Sides," there was an tremble in his voice. Like he was trying not to cry.

"It'll be okay."

"No, it's not. I had to leave Cybertron, Sides! I'm on a ship. I can't go back there."

"Wow, I thought I was the bad twin."

"This isn't the time for jokes. I'm an criminal. If they catch me, I'll be labeled a decepticon," Sunny sobbed a bit.

"Do you do it?"

"Huh?"

"The crime, they're after you."

"Yeah." Another sniff.

"Do you regret it?"

"No."

Sideswipe was curious about what he did. To be on the run. But he wanted to reassure his twin first.

"Come stay with me, Sunny."

"But Cyber-."

"I'm not on Cybertron, I'm on Earth."

"What? How?"

Sideswipe gave an small laugh, "It involved me breaking a minor law and very determined police cadet handcuffing me to her and following her not so crazy supervisor over a space bridge here."

"Cops? I can't go."

"They are my team, you can trust them. I do. We're not supposed to be here either."

"You on a team."

"Crazier things have happened."

"Okay, I'll come. I have a couple friends with me..."

"They can come, the more them merrier." He thought that at first his team was really small. Just him, Bee, Strongarm, Fixit, Grimlock, Denny, and Rusty. Then Drift, Jetstorm, and Slipstream. Then Windblade. Then Optimus. Then Ratchet and Undertone. Now Wheeljack. If he was staying. He wasn't sure. Today, Wheeljack got excited at the prospect of going to Monster Truck rally next week.

"Okay."

"I'll send the coordinates." He did.

"Thanks, I can't wait to see you again."

"Me too."

"I'll see you in a few cycles."

"Wait! I forgot to ask..."

"I'll tell you when I see you."

"Sunstreaker..."

"I love you, Sides." He hung up.

Sideswipe stared his lap.

There was an knock on his door. It opened slightly. Strongarm poked her head in, "How did it go?"

Was her timing always that good?

"He's okay."

"That's great!" Windblade poked her own head in.

"He's on the run from the Council."

"Oh."

"I told him he could stay here."

"That's good."

They came inside, crossing the door behind them. And walked over to him to give him an small hug. Sideswipe hugged them back. Normally he would try to brush it off. But he was glad for their confront and didn't want to let go so quick.

"Do you want to be alone?" Windblade asked.

"No."

"We'll stay as along as you want."

"All night," he realized how perverted he sounded, "I mean, just to talk and recharge..."

"We know."

They lied down on the berth together, Sideswipe in the middle. And curled up around each other. He felt comfortable like this. With them. 

"So what's is Sunstreaker like?" Strongarm.

"Oh, he's a self absorbed, confident, likes to brag about how pretty he is."

"Sounds like you, Slick," Windblade teased.

"Well, think me but 10x worse..."

"Oh primus," Strongarm's optics widened.

Sideswipe smirked and patted her helm, "Just remember that the next time, you want to complain about me."

"Shut up, punk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cackling* pulls Sunstreaker from the pile of characters I plan adding into this fic.


	7. Chapter 7-Decepticon hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the most of team is out, Bee is accompanied by Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Drift to take on some prisoners from the Alchemor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to write this, school is kicking my ass but here you go. Sorry no Sunny yet. He will arrive soon. 
> 
> This chapter is probably longest one yet. And I make an attempt on explaining on why new decepticons resemble animals

It was a peaceful day, Wheeljack supposed. The sun was shining and bright blue. Few clouds in the sky Pleasingly warm. It was surprisingly quiet in the Scrapyard. Other then him of course, hammering the dented metal of his ship in hopes that some of was salvageable. And he didn’t have to replace all of it. Denny did offer to help him find some supplies to replace his ship, in fact they were going to go tomorrow to find some junk yard.

But he still wanted to see. He knew the Earth material was somewhat compatible with Cybertronian technology. A little unstable. But usable for somethings.

And Bumblebee had been doing patrols trying to find some cybertronian materials to help him. He only found a little so far.

Anyway, Wheeljack was pounding the slag out of the metal to fix.

He paused and wiped some coolant from his forehead. He probably should take a break and grabbed an small energon cube. And he was aware of Ratchet “small fuelling’s throughout the day” had became a habit to him. Ratchet hadn’t been reinforcing it at all today.

He spotted Ratchet over by the control center. Was he sitting? He was. Kinda adorable that he was sitting cross legged. It looked like he was building something. Tools and gears sprinkled around him. He was chatting with Fixit.

Wheeljack leaped off the ship, landing smoothly on his pedes. And walked over to the Energon supply. Bee had told him to take as much as he needed but he noted how low their supplies were. It was more than they had during the war. He guessed that doing stuff that the Council didn’t improve of, didn’t mean they were willing to give them energon.

Anyway, he took a few cubes and headed toward Ratchet and Fixit.

Ratchet looked up, he seemed surprised to see the energon cubes in Wheeljack's servos. His eyebrows rose.

“Time for a break?” Wheeljack shrugged, “I brought you some too.”

“I’m fine right now.”

Wheeljack arched an eyebrow, “Are you sure, I haven’t see you refuel today?”

“Checking up on me?” Ratchet snorted, "Last time I checked, I was the doctor."

Wheeljack smirked, “Well, someone has to look after the doctor if he won’t.”

“You probably should, Ratchet,” Fixit piped up from his station.

“Fine, fine,” he grumbled.

Wheeljack handed everyone each a cube. He settled himself down beside Ratchet, sipping it and watching Ratchet drink a bit of his cube before going back to tinkering.

“What are you building, doc?”

Ratchet glared at him before an moment before explaining, “Well, Fixit, Denny, and I were inventing an shield for the team, as they seem to like being knocked around.”

Fixit added, “It’ll be a nice invention and a tool to have.”

“Will I be getting one as well?”

“Puh-leaze,” Ratchet waved his servo in the air, “You’ll be getting the first one, can’t have another tree attacking you.”

Wheeljack snorted. He was never going to live that down. But at least, none of his old wrecker pals didn’t know. They would tease him endlessly.

“What will I do if it weren’t for you.” Wheeljack quipped.

“I would assume offine in a pile of trees somewhere,” Ratchet said, taking another sip.

Wheeljack rolled his optics and drained the rest of his cube.

Just then, Bumblebee drove in the base. He opened his car doors to let out Denny and Rusty. Then transformed.

“Thanks Bee!” Rusty chimed.

Bee looked around, frowning a little,“Seems quiet.” He paused, "too quiet."

“Where are rest of the bots?” Rusty asked, crossing his arms.

“I believe Sideswipe and Grimlock and Drift’s mini-cons went out. Windblade and Strongarm are out on patrol. And-,” Ratchet said.

“Drift is doing some hippy-dippy stuff over there or something,” Wheeljack finished.

“You mean meditation?” Denny asked.

“Yeah that.”

“It’s be nice and peaceful for a little awhile,” Bumblebee said, “I was thinking a rinse in the car wash and trained some more.”

From long as Wheeljack had been here, that kid had been constantly doing something. Patrolling. Leading. Training.

Wheeljack laughed, “No offense, you are sounding like Ratchet.”

“Hey,” Ratchet and Bee said together.

“What you do, you’re becoming quite the workaholic.”

Bee frowned, his door wings dropping a little.

“Relax, a bit, kid, you’re still young,” Wheeljack told him.

“I know that,” Bee said defensively. Wheeljack thought for an moment that he really didn’t know that.

Ratchet was frowning at him.

“What.”

“I’m not that much of an workaholic.”

Bee let out a laugh and then covered his mouth.

“No one believes you, Sunshine.”

“Hmph.”

A loud blaring alarm went off.

“What the frag is that?” Wheeljack shouted.

“A decepticon signal,” Fixit explained, “There seems a decepticon more like a few are nearby, close to the base at least. I’ll contact the rest of the team.”

“Alright, Fixit. Tell them to meet me there,” Bee told him.

“I’ll come with in case, you need a cover,” Denny said. He was carrying a box of disguises. Wheeljack wondered how he got it so quick and without him noticing. Maybe he just had multiple boxes laying around.

Bee positioned himself to transform.

“Lieutenant, I can’t get through to the team, something is clocking…flocking…” Thump. “Blocking the signal.”

“I’m guess I’m going alone.”

“Oh no, you’re not going alone,” Ratchet stood up and crossed his arms, “I’m going with you.”

“Ratchet, you don’t have to.”

“I’m not letting you go after a bunch of decepticons without backup,” Ratchet glared at him for good measure. Wheeljack always thought of it as one of Ratchet’s main looks.

“I’m going too,” Wheeljack piped. He longed to get out and do something. Stretched out his joint. Fight some cons. Just like the good old times.

“Wheeljack, you shouldn’t. What about,” Bee trailed off.

“I’m fully recovered, kid,” Wheeljack jumped up to his pedes as if to prove it. He placed his hand on his hip.

Bee looked over to Ratchet.

Ratchet only shrugged, “What do you want me to say, he’s okay. At least physically.”

Wheeljack smirked, “Thanks to you, doc.”

“You’re only saying that because I cleared you for duty.”

“Lieutenant, it will be best for them to go with you, they are war veterans like you too,” Fixit told him.

“Me an’ Ratchet can hold our own,” Wheeljack was still grinning.

“Fine, just get ready quickly.”

It didn’t take long to get armed. Wheeljack strapped on his swords and his signature bomb on his hip.

He got back to the clearing. Ratchet attached an gun on his hip. Undertone transforming and jumping onto Ratchet’s arm.

And Drift was here too. He must have finish his hippy stuff. He frowned at bit at Wheeljack. Or maybe he was already doing that. It was hard to tell at times.

“An bomb, Wheeljack seriously,” Ratchet said, crossing his arms.

“You never know if you will need one,” Wheeljack shrugged.

“That seems very unnecessary in this situation,” Drift said.

“Never know.”

“Let’s go,” Bee interrupted, “Fixit…”

“Setting ground bridge to the location of the signal,” Fixit said, filling in the coordinates on the screen.

The familiar bluely green orb formed an few feet in front of them.

“Autobots, rev up and roll out,” Bee commanded and transformed. He opened his doors for Russell and Denny and transformed, driving toward the bridge.

“Not a bad battle cry,” Wheeljack followed suit.

"Thanks, came up with it myself," Bee yelled back. 

Through the bridge, they transformed back into their bot modes. Bee let out Denny and Russell. Bee immediately grabbed his decepticon hunter. It already formed into a sword when Bee’s servo wrapped around it. His optics immediately searching the area around them.

Wheeljack pulled up his mouth guard and then his swords.

Ratchet placed his hands on his hips. His posture may have seemed casual. But he was tense.

“Fixit said they should around be here,” Bee said.

“This is right by a campsite area, me and Rusty will head there to stop people from wandering near,” Denny offered. Rusty and Denny headed off.

They walked around, jumping at every sound. Every rustle of leaves. Branches shaking from animals/ 

“Maybe they left,” Wheeljack said.

“Or maybe they anticipated our arrival,” Drift commented.

“I’m hoping that they got bored and left.”

“Well, they are definitely going to anticipate us if we keep talking about it,” Ratchet hissed. He made his ‘grumpy sunshine' face.

“Shh, I think I heard some-,” Bee started to say before he got blasted in the back. He fell forward, groaning. He got onto his knees and shook his head. The others looked up to see about six decepticons walking toward them.

Ratchet immediately pulled out an gun and took an shot in their direction. One that looked like Earth squirrel fell over. Wheeljack had to admit it was kinda hot.

Drift bent down and helped Bee up to his pedes.

“I’m fine,” Bee mumbled. He sounded slightly embarrassed.

“There you are, autobots,” the one who was heading the group said. His voice was raspy. He resembled an Earth lizard but standing on two legs. His optics were yellow. His paint mixed of different greens. Dark. Light.

“We don’t want to fight, come with us freely,” Ratchet said to the group. He was still aiming the gun at them.

“So we can be arrested?” asked the lizard decepticon, “I don’t think so.”

“You are going to be arrested anyway,” Ratchet mumbled anyway.

The decepticons ran toward them, holding up their weapons of choice. Wheeljack raised his blades against an tan coloured who also resembled a lizard, holding an staff. Wheeljack may be a tiny bit rusty but he still had it.

But he wasn’t focused on the tail of the decepticon. Which curled behind the decepticon who whipped it at Wheeljack. It swept him off his pedes.

Wheeljack landed on his back. It stunned him for an moment. The decepticon lifted the staff over his head and swung it down, aiming for Wheeljack’s head. He rolled away just in time to avoid it and got to his feet. He immediately launched forward, bringing up his swords. It met with the staff with an clung. The decepticon tried to swept him off his pedes again. Wheeljack jumped over it and attacked again.

His processor rapidly trying to come with up with ideas to defeat him. He pushed himself it to the back of his processor. He fought better on instinct. He faked going to the decepticon’s left. The decepticon eagerly went to block him. His lizard-like optics widened when he realized his mistake. Wheeljack kicked the decepticon’s midsection and the decepticon fell over. As the decepticon was getting up, Wheeljack knocked him over the helm with the helm of his blade. And kicked him down again.

Wheeljack looked around. Bee was fighting the off the leader and holding his own. Drift was feigning off one. Ratchet was holding off the other two. Wheeljack wasn’t sure if he was struggling or not. One who resembled an grasshopper had jumped onto Ratchet’s back trying to get his arms around Ratchet while Ratchet was trying to block the other decepticon who resembled an beetle. Undertone had unattached himself and was trying to beat off the decepticon off Ratchet’s back.

“Need some help, doc,” Wheeljack bellowed.

“Nah,” Ratchet said and grabbed the decepticon on his back’s arm, flipping him over his shoulder with ease. The grasshopper decepticon crashed into the other one, both landing in a heap on the group. Ratchet and Undertone each pulled a pair of stasis cuff, hastily putting them on the decepticons.

“Okay do ya have a pair for me and Lizzy?” Wheeljack said.

Ratchet nodded and pulled out another, tossing the pair over.

Wheeljack caught them easily and crouched down, handcuffing the decepticon.

“Wheeljack!” Ratchet yelled.

He looked up, frowning at Ratchet, “What?”

“Behind you,” he shouted and started jogging toward him.

Wheeljack turned his head and saw the squirrel decepticon Ratchet shot hovering over him, raising an blade. Wheeljack held an servo over his face with the other reaching for one of his swords.

CLANK!

Wheeljack removed them to see Ratchet had made it over to him and activated his arm blades. He blocked the blade and the swung the other one at the decepticon. The decepticon backed away and lurched forward. Ratchet caught the blade again. And they fought for an minute. Wheeljack still on the ground tackled the decepticon.

He wrangled with the decepticon as Ratchet put an pair of stasis cuffs on the decepticon.

Wheeljack let go and the decepticon drop to the ground. He went up to Ratchet and wrapped an arm around him.

Ratchet gave him a look.

“Teamwork, Sunshine,” Wheeljack said with an smile.

Ratchet rolled his optics. His lips were quirking up a bit like he was trying not to smile. Wheeljack poked his cheek. Ratchet smacked his servo away, “Stop that you.”

“AH-ah!” That sounded like Bee.

Both bots whipped around to another lizard decepticon appeared out of nowhere and crashed into Bee, knocking him the ground. The decepticon hunter skidding a few feet away. Bee rolled onto his back and kicked the decepticon off him. The leader grabbed at Bee’s legs. Bee continued to kick out at the decepticons, but he was losing ground.

“We got you now, autobot copper,” laughed the leader, the tongue poking out of his intake, "Wait until they hear back at home, we got ourselves an Bumblebee."

Bee kicked off one servo and struggled for his decepticon hunter. He was out of reach.

Ratchet ran over to where his blaster was. He aimed and shot at the decepticons. Both were hit and flew off, landing in front of his tree. Wheeljack saw an opening and the snagged the bomb off his hip.

“Wheeljack!” Ratchet started.

He pressed the button and threw it toward the decepticons.

It hit the tree.

It went off.

The tree broke in half. The top falling. Bee sat up, his optics widening as he saw the tree. He rolled out of the way as the tree landed on the decepticons.

Bee was inventing heavily, he looked over at the others, “Well that went better than expected.”

Ratchet had his hands-on hips, “And you wanted to do this alone.”

Bee started to laugh, “Yeah.”

“And Wheeljack finally got revenge against trees,” Drift said, his face showing nothing.

“Hey, did you make an joke? I didn’t know you could do that,” Wheeljack laughed.

“Don’t get used to it.”

Over in the distance, they heard Denny say, “I recognized that, that wasn’t a gunshot or bomb but.”

Rusty’s voice piped, “It’s mating season, there are multiple bears in the area fighting against each other. They have an tendency to knock down trees”

“Exactly! We should head back to campsite before they notice us.”

Ratchet started snickering again.

 

Back at the base, Fixit was informing them on who these decepticons were. Apparently, the leader was named Salador. And he was the leader of an crime group that was on Cybertron that operated what kidnapping. Salador was captured and imprisoned on the Alchemor alongside his group.

Aftwards Wheeljack got curious and went to check the other stasis pods. There was only an few of them stacked alongside the Alchemor.

“Wheeljack?”

Wheeljack turned. Ratchet was standing here. He went over to lean against one side of the Alchemor, beside the first pod.

“Ratchet,” he said softly, “All these decepticons resemble Earth creatures.”

Ratchet nodded.

“Why?”

Ratchet sighed. And he looked really tired all the sudden, “You left the council pretty early in their reign.”

“Yeah and.”

“They may have hated us autobots, how we destroyed Cybertron for our ‘pointless;war,’” Ratchet used finger quotes. “But they hated the decepticons more.”

Wheeljack gestured toward the stasis pods, “Look, I may not know every decepticon there is, I’m sure that I’ve never seen those decepticons during the war.”

“When new sparks emerged from the Allspark, for some reason many of them took on either beast modes or took on the appearances of Earth animals,” Ratchet explained, “The council looked down on them, treated them somewhat like criminals and decepticons, meant to do more harm than good.”

“So they locked them up,” Wheeljack shook his head. He just couldn’t picture Bee and Ratchet willing to lock up these bots because of what they look like and can transform them into.

“I’m not saying none of them didn’t do bad things, the ones here did bad things, but I wonder at acts was because of how the system treated them. Because they were desperate. It’s bad over here. They’re not allowed to go to certain places, work at certain jobs. Most of the council already treated them as criminals so why not become one,” Ratchet’s lip plates were pressed tightly together, “The council will look at any reason to prison them.”

“Why are they called decepticons?”

“Because what’s more dangerous than an decepticon,” Ratchet smiled dryly, “Criminals are labelled decepticons.”

“Oh.”

“Grimlock was an decepticon.”

“What.”

“Imprisoned for property damage, Bee told me.”

“And he was imprisoned?”

“Yeah, not uncommon sadly. He helped Bee and the team when they first landed here but I highly doubt that council recognizes it.”

“Grimlock is an autobot at spark that’s all that matters,” Bee said, appearing beside Ratchet. He crossed his arms.

“Bee, have you ever tried to see any of them will help you?”

“Most of them either highly dangerous to the humans. And we’re autobots, they’re not going to stop and listen to what we had to say,” Bee said grimly, "And these are bots will get crimes. Some of them assault or murder."

“But Optimus.”

“I can’t just say join us because I have no idea what Optimus is doing, join us we might go against the council.”

“You already did.”

“Not officially,” Bee said.

“But imprisoned them?”

“I had to, for now,” Bee said.

“Most of them here are criminals, it might be safer for now,” Ratchet said, “We can’t release them, some of them will harm humans."

“I understand, it just sucks.”

“Bumblebee, come check this out!” Grimlock yelled from somewhere in the scrapyard.

Bee sighed, his doorwings fluttering. He smiled a little before transforming and leaving Ratchet and Wheeljack alone.

 Wheeljack paused, “What about the other decepticons, the actual decepticons.”

“I’m not sure, some of them are keeping an low profile or left Cybertron or imprisoned. They are not exactly welcomed.”

“So bots like Knock Out are…”

“Last time I checked, the council was still letting him practice as an medic, it’s been years since I’ve seen them,” Ratchet frowned, “I actually don’t know what’s happened to the rest of Team Prime.”

“What.”

“I have a feeling the Council didn’t want me near our old team or around anyone because.”

“Of Optimus.”

“Exactly, they separated all of us. I know Bulkhead, Arcee, and Ultra Magnus became part of an team. I’m not sure where Smokescreen went. You left. They sent me off the planet as an hunter. And stationed Bee in Kaon, I haven’t seen him since I ran into him and Optimus here.”

“Must have been an surprise.”

Ratchet smiled, “Yeah. An good one”

“At least you have Bee now, and Optimus, and this team here.”

“And you for now.”

Wheeljack threw his arm around Ratchet, “Yeah, come on, let’s see what Grimlock brought. I bet it's something that will avoid Drift.”

"That's really vague."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finish classes and exams on April 10th so I hope I will write more chapters more frequently. Sorry if there are any grammar mistakes. I try to catch them all.


	8. Chapter 8-Junkyards, Self Servicing, and Movie Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the title suggest, there will be junkyards and self servicing. And an movie night where ultimately gets crashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! Long story, school wasn't good to me and the chapters kept getting longer and longer. But my last exam is on Monday and hopefully I'll work this story more often for you all. 
> 
> As well, if you don't want to read the self servicing bit, I separated it with spaces. It's the third bit so you can skip over if you want and it's not relatively important, I wanted to write it and hopefully it's not cringeworthy :)

Wheeljack admitted it. He liked human junkyards. Who knew that humans threw away so much stuff. There were mountains of human gizmos. He held up an small rectangle with an window and some buttons with Earth numbers. 

“Who threw away this awesome lava lamp?” Denny exclaimed, holding up what Wheeljack presumed was an lava lamp. It looked like an container that had pink fluids with darker pink blobs. Kinda like something Shockwave would have kept in his weird lab of horrors.

“Dad, put that away. There’s an reason someone threw it away,” Russell crossed his arms, frowning. 

Denny’s shoulders slumped, “But-.”

“Put it down.”

“Aww,” Denny placed it gently on the ground. Wheeljack wondered for an moment if all father/son relationships were like this. It was so much different than the mother/son bond at least from what he observed from June and Jack. Here it looked like the son ordered the dad around and kept him safe. 

Wheeljack dragged out an rusted old car. More rust than its actual colour, maybe an glimpse of dark blue colour here and there. He pulled off the hood and threw it aside.

“Be careful, Denny and Russell are here,” Ratchet warned from the distance. He was carefully observing and removing aside junk.  
“Did I hit them, Sunshine?”

Wheeljack didn’t have to turn around to know that Ratchet had rolled his optics. He peered down and saw the engine and everything was still intact in the car. “I think I could use this.”

“That’s great!” Denny said loudly. 

He added that to the pile of possible usable items which included an TV and an stove. An blue motorcycle which when he first found it had yelled out what’s Arcee doing here, causing Ratchet to jump and kick an pile of junk. Wheeljack didn’t know that Sunshine was the type to yell out an curse word or an bunch of them so rapidly. 

“Oh! Rusty, check this out,” Denny yelled, “It’s an vintage leather couch, it would be perfect for the scrapyard or at least I can fix it up and sell it.”

“Dad-.”

“Someone, help me pulled this out.”

Wheeljack went over and pulled it out for DennyHe didn’t know that couches could be this bright an red. 

“Thanks, Jackie.”

He bristled. “Don’t call me that.” He crossed his arms, turning away from him and walking away.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t know.”

He overheard Ratchet whisper. Or at least tried to. He wasn’t sure if Ratchet knew how to whisper exactly. “Don’t mind him. That was Bulkhead’s nickname for him, they haven’t spoken to or seen each other for awhile.”

“Oh, that’s makes sense,” Denny seemed to pause, “Hey, um when we’re done, can you fit this couch into your alt mode, Ratch.”

Wheeljack imagined Ratchet’s shock face at the prospect and turned to see that it was the same face he imagined. It was. Ratchet tried multiple times to open his mouth and nothing coming out. 

“I don’t want to take up room on Wheeljack’s pile on the trailer, and it can’t exactly fit in a car…”

“I would love to see Sunshine put an couch into the back of him,” Wheeljack commented.

“You would,” Ratchet grumbled.

“What about this?” Grimlock appeared into view. 

“What about what?” Ratchet asked. He seemed relieved at the change of topic. 

“Come here and see?” The dinobot had already turned around and left. Everyone immediately started following him.

Wheeljack felt someone touch his elbow. He craned his neck and looked around to see Ratchet’s face. He seemed worried. 

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Wheeljack cocked his head to the side, “Whatdaya mean?”

“Denny didn’t mean to call you that,” Ratchet was looking at him. Wheeljack could practically see the concern in his optics. 

“I know, Bulkhead is kinda an touchy subject for me. I shouldn’t have snapped.” Wheeljack was sincere about that. He missed his Wrecker buddy a lot, but he was the one who left. Bulkhead was the one who stayed. It wasn’t like he could call him up and ignore the fact he left without saying goodbye or why he did. 

“Well, you’re grateful you didn’t get called Wheelie,” Ratchet snorted, smirking a bit.

He cringed at first. Wheeljack. Jackie. Or Wheelie. Wheeljack preferred Jackie rather than Wheelie. 

“Wheelie has an certain ring to it, Wheelie the Ex-Wrecker,” Wheeljack chuckled a little after an moment. Ratchet rolled his optics. 

“Wheeljack! Ratchet! You need to see this!” Rusty yelled.

The autobots made their way to where they were standing. Grimlock brushed some more junk away from it and it revealed an space ship. It was an small one. Wheeljack peered at it, it was definitely Cybertronian. 

“By the allspark,” Ratchet muttered.

Grimlock transformed into his bot mode and easily pulled out the ship, carrying it into his arms. He set it down.

“That is so cool!” Rusty’s eyes were wide as he stared in amazement, “Can I go inside!”

“No,” Denny said, “It could be dangerous.”

Ratchet was examining it. It was small ship, maybe an small Cybertronian or a mini-con could fit inside. And it was gray ship with blue stripes, the front window was darkly tinted. “There seems to be nothing wrong with it, just shut off.”

“What is it doing in an junkyard?” Wheeljack wondered aloud. 

“If I knew, I would tell you,” Ratchet grumbled, “It does appear to be abandoned, definitely Cybertronian.”

“I would say, that an mini-con or couple of them came here on this ship,” Wheeljack noted, “They might be on the run from the council or perhaps thought Earth was the perfect vacation spot?”

“Exactly,” Ratchet agreed, “that’s probably it.”

“Should we leave it? What if they come back?” Denny asked.

“Let me see,” Wheeljack moved to where Ratchet was. Ratchet backed away to let him through. Wheeljack saw the number pad. He broke off the cover, exposing the wires. It only took him an minute to rewire it and the door popped open. 

“How did you do that!” Rusty explained.

Wheeljack chuckled, “Before the wrecker, I was an engineer. You learn a few times about wires.”

Denny and Rusty went inside to check it out.

“It’s completely empty!” Denny told him, “Abandoned.”

“Well, come out before the door closes and you’re stuck in there.”

“What!”

“Just kidding, the door’s fine.”

“What are we going to do with it?”

“That’s easy, let Wheeljack have it. He could use some of the parts,” Ratchet placed his servos on his hip, cocking it slightly, “Thanks to Grimlock, that was an great discovery.”

Grimlock blushed slightly. “It was no biggie.”

“It was, an good one. Thanks, Grim, couldn’t have found this without you,” Wheeljack gave him an thumb’s up.

“Let’s just head back to the scrap yard, I think that will be enough for now and the sun is going to set soon. And Wheeljack has to be able to drag this back on the trailer,” Ratchet said.

“But Ratchet, about the couch…”

 

“How did it go?” Bee was still looking at datapad as he leaned against an wall. He looked up seeing their load, “Well, I’m guessing well.”

“You can say that,” Grimlock said as he started taking off his crane disguise. 

Wheeljack opened his car doors to let out Denny and Rusty out and transformed, carefully unhooking himself from the trailer. 

“I’m not even going to ask where that ship came from,” Bee said, looking back down at the datapad. 

“Grim found it in an junkyard,” Wheeljack mumbled, “It’s not as shocking as what Denny got Ratchet to do.”

“Huh?”

Ratchet was grumbling as he sat in his alt mode. Bee looked up out of interest, his eyebrow raising slightly. Denny opened the back of the ambulance.  
“Okay, Rusty, get in there and help me,” Denny said. Rusty climbed in the back of Ratchet. Wheeljack crossed his arms, smiling. 

“Be careful in there,” Ratchet warned. 

One side of the couch poked out in the open. Denny ended bumping that end into interior wall. 

“Ow, watch it!”

Bee’s eyebrow rose even more as he watched. He covered his mouth to keep his laughing, it didn’t work. He started to wheeze a bit.  
“If you thought that was funny, you should have seen them put it inside.”

“What’s an couch doing inside Ratchet,” Strongarm and as well as rest of the team walked over. 

Ratchet grumbled. 

“We found this neat couch,” Denny explained, as both he and Rusty managed to pull it out of Ratchet. He transformed and crossed his arms. Wheeljack was sure that he was pouting slightly, it was cute. 

“Thanks Ratchet!”

“Yeah, no problem,” he waved an servo. 

Sideswipe snorted. 

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Sideswipe raised his hands in surrender, “I mean, you finally got Bee to look up from the romance pad he’s reading.”

“It’s not an romance pad!” Bee shouted. Wheeljack could tell from the guilty look on his face that it was probably was.

“I looked over your shoulder, it was.”

“What do you know about romance, other than the fact it could hit you in the face and you still probably couldn’t tell,” Strongarm said with an grin.  
“Well, you hit me in the face a few times and I wouldn’t call it romance,” he retorted back. 

“You two are such romantics,” Windblade smirked, “It’s an good thing, I made up for the both of you two.”

Strongarm and Sideswipe looked at each other before rolling their optics, “such an romantic.”

 

Wheeljack chose that moment to take his load back to the Jackhammer. He managed to fit all but the spaceship inside. He figured it would be smart to keep it inside as he dismantled it for parts. He closed the door, figuring he needed the alone time. 

He got his tools from their spot and sat down on his makeshift workspace, which mostly just included an work table and bench. He started tinkering with one of tech from the junkyard. 

It was only an minute before he put it down and stared at it. The longer he sat here, he didn’t really want to work on his ship. He kinda just felt like…  
He let his servo wander down to his inferface panel. He rubbed it tentatively, feeling the heat pooled to the surface. It’s been awhile, he thought. His spike was pressing against the panel He rubbed it a bit harder. 

His panel clicked open, his spike becoming erect. He wrapped his servo around it gently and started to work it, giving it long strokes. His fans clicked on next. He moaned to himself, dipping his head back. His legs spread wider, one pede resting on the desk. He stroked himself faster, closing his optics. He was gonna lay back and enjoyed himself. 

That was when he started imagining Ratchet. The outlines of the medic’s face seem printed on his mind. Ratchet wasn’t scowling at him. He seemed to be giving Wheeljack a smirk. 

“Look at you,” Ratchet whispered. 

Wheeljack groaned, rubbing the tip of his spike. Pre-transfluid was already coming out the tip. He kept seeing Ratchet’s frame. The well shaped thighs. The handsome face, serious yet affectionate. The orange and white paint. 

He imagined what it would feel like if it was Ratchet’s valve around his spike, instead of his hand. The plump lips, orange and white like the rest of him, maybe yellow biolights. Calipers clamping tightly on his spike. Ratchet leaning against him, rocking back and forth, clinging to him tightly. Wheeljack moaned ever louder and jerking his hips up. 

“That’s it,” Wheeljack vented heavily, his fans roaring loudly. 

The image changed before him. Ratchet was back to leaning over him. He was smirking again. Wheeljack’s spark skipped an beat.  
“Touch your valve,” Ratchet whispered again. Wheeljack shivered. He nodded even though he knew Ratchet wasn’t here. He reached his other hand and stuck a digit in, stretching at the walls. His valve getting wetter and wetter by the second. 

Wheeljack bit down another groan and added an second digit, his valve eagerly champing around it. He wriggled them, finding an node. His hips jerked again.  
“Hmm, I love it when you self service in front of me,” Ratchet’s voice was soft. 

He started trying to stroke his spike again. He arched his frame. He felt himself nearing overload.

“Come on overload.”

“Wheeljack?” Ratchet sounded like he was outside now. Wheeljack barely registered it. It sounded so quiet compared his fans. Not like he sounded before.  
“Hmmn Ratchet.”

“Wheeljack?” He sounded louder this time.

And then Wheeljack overloaded, his frame twitched. Transfluid fluid burst from his spike and valve, splattering his legs. 

Then he fell off his bench. 

He landed on the back, still coming to from the effect of his overload, “Primus.”

“Wheeljack! What are you doing in there,” Ratchet was yelling. He knocked loudly on the door, “I’m going to come-.” 

Wheeljack heard the door start to open and realized he forgot to lock it. He abruptly sat, wincing at the fluids drying on his plating. Just what he needed, Ratchet walking in on him, laying on the floor in his own transfluid. Not mention self servicing with the medic in mind, “Sunshine, no, I’m fine.”

“I heard an crash. And some moans.” He reclosed the door.

“I-I fell on the floor, I’m fine. Just-,” he stopped.

“What…oh.”

He felt energon heat up in his cheek plates.

“Well anyway, me and the rest of the team were going to watch an movie, they’re still deciding on well everything, thought I would ask you if you would want to join.”

He only saw a few Earth movies and that was mostly with Bulkhead and Miko. He didn’t mind them, especially the western ones. Miko always told him that he was like an cowboy. He took it as an compliment. 

“I’ll be here in an few,” he glanced down at the mess between his legs, “I need to wash up.”

“Okay, you do that.” He heard Ratchet stepping away, his feet steps fading in the background.

Wheeljack laid back down, thinking for an moment it would be nice if it was really Ratchet with him. Fragging Ratchet. Ratchet fragging him. Overloading together. The look on Ratchet’s face when he did. Would it be blissful?

And frag. 

He really liked Ratchet.

 

Wheeljack cleaned up in record time. He was glad his washrack still worked especially after seeing the morning rush of the car wash between the Bee Team. Strongarm won. Sideswipe apparently had an new dent in his head.

Ratchet didn’t tell him where everyone was watching.

But he was starting to know his way around. And the Bee Team wasn’t exactly quiet.

They were by the Alchemor. Denny was setting something with Fixit. 

“How’s the protector coming along?” Rusty asked.

“We got it functioning,” Fixit said. 

“I still say we should watch an educational film,” Strongarm suggested.

“Strongarm, trust me, I rather poke out my own optics,” Sideswipe crossed his arms, “with my decepticon hunter.”

“That’s a bit overdramatic.”

“I still say this one, they have cool moves,” Sideswipe mimicked what kinda looked an karate stance. He stuck his arms out above his head and lifted his leg up.  
“Yes, we agree,” Slipstream and Jetstorm said. 

“You look like an praying mantis,” Strongarm informed him. 

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“Guys, stop fighting for an second,” Bee told them and shrugged, “And obviously, we should watch these western movies.”

“What’s with you and Westerns?” Ratchet snorted. 

“They’re good movies,” Bee protested, “Which one did you watch to see?”

“I don’t care.”

“What about this one, this one features this earth animal and an human hugging,” Fixit offered.

“That’s an dog, Fixit,” Rusty told him.

“And not that one,” Denny said, “that one make me cry.”

“What about the ones with the alt mode like mine,” Grimlock asked.

Wheeljack smirked, “the Cowboys ones are the best.”

“Thank you, Wheeljack,” Bee exclaimed.

“That doesn’t count, he’s practically an cowboy,” Ratchet said. Undertone was at his side. He looked up at Ratchet.

Wheeljack wondered if Ratchet overheard those times when Miko called him that and he mimicked the movies. Probably. The medic probably knew everything that went on in that base. 

“I thought you didn’t care about what movie we watch, doc.”

“Hmph.”

“Guys, you’ll be better off of putting all suggestions in an hat and pulling one randomly,” Denny said. 

Everyone looked at him. 

So that was they did.

It was Grimlock’s dinosaur movie.

Denny and Rusty sat in the front, eating popcorn. Miko used to eat it a lot or throw it at him, Bulkhead, and on occasion when she was feeling brave, at Ratchet. Slipstream, Jetstorm, and Undertone sat in the front. Jetstorm and Slipstream was talking with Undertone, looking more like talk at Undertone. Undertone looked over at Ratchet who just shrugged at him.

Strongarm, Sideswipe, and Windblade sat together. Windblade was resting against Strongarm, while holding onto Sideswipe’s servo. Sideswipe as resting against Strongarm while she had an arm around him. They went from bickering to this. Interesting. 

Bee sat beside Grimlock.  
“You think the dinosaurs talk?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t see this before,” Bee said, smiling at little. 

“Will the humans and dinosaurs be friends?” 

“Maybe.”

Wheeljack was kinda shocked that Drift was here. Movies didn’t seem to be like his thing. Drift sat off to the side, sitting cross-legged. 

Ratchet sat in the back. Wheeljack went over and flopped down beside him, stretching out his legs in front of him.

Ratchet looked over at him, arching an eyebrow. 

“What, didn’t want to feel lonely all by yourself.” 

He got a little corner smile for that. Wheeljack poked Ratchet’s shoulder.

“Well, I do hope you got washed up before coming here.”

“Oh, course not,” he said, leaning back and resting his elbows on the ground. He wriggled his eyebrows.  
Ratchet rolled his optics. 

They were mid way through. It wasn’t an bad movie. Ratchet scoffed at the treatment of the dinosaurs and as Wheeljack quoted, “why are those human so stupid, that leader is unquantified for this.”

Wheeljack liked watching Ratchet at the corner of his eye. He was always so expressive. He had his servo on his chin as he watched the screen, squinting and muttering, “well, that sounds like a good idea.”

Wheeljack laughed under his breath. 

Ratchet shot a glance over to him, placing his servo down on the ground. His digits accidently over Wheeljack quickly before passing over them. Wheeljack invented at the touch. He immediately thought of earlier. He pressed his lip plates together. He didn’t realize how they close they were together. Should he say something?

Then an alarm went off.

Ratchet jerked, “What in the allspark!”

Bee was already running toward the alarm.

Wheeljack scrambled to his pedes, looking around for an explanation.

“It means someone broke in the base,” Fixit squeaked, rolling toward the Alchemor. 

The others were running around, looking around rapidly as if a decepticon would jump out at any moment. The mini-cons herded Denny and Rusty away from the scene. 

Fixit got to his systems, different screen whipping past him with an flick of his servo, “Only seems like one decepticon signal.”

“One decepticon! We can handle that,” Sideswipe boasted, relaxing. 

“We still got to take this seriously,” Bee told him. 

“I activated the force field around the scrapyard,” Fixit told them, “The decepticon is stuck here.”

“Thank you,” he gestured toward Windblade and Sideswipe, “You two check out the front. Strongarm and Grimlock to the back. Me and Drift will check out over to the east. The mini cons can stay by Denny and Rusty.”

“Me an’ the doc over there,” Wheeljack said, putting his hand on his hip.

Bee nodded. 

They went. Ratchet and Wheeljack searched relentlessly in their area. They stopped once they heard shuffling around. Ratchet looked over at Wheeljack.  
“You go that way,” Wheeljack mouthed, tilting his head once way. He then tilted it the other way, “I go that way.”

Ratchet nodded and started to walk off. 

It didn’t help that it was dark out. For all he knew that decepticon was midnight coloured or something. Not that it mattered. He was sure he faced worst. Much worse.

He heard a scream. Was that Sideswipe? He didn’t think. He ran toward it, taking out his blades. He looked around. Then he saw him. Sideswipe had a look of horror in his face, optics widen, his mouth hanging out in an scream. He went over and touched him. Sideswipe didn’t move. It was like he was frozen.  
“Primus, what of an con did this?” Wheeljack muttered. He saw Windblade was also frozen. He had to find the others. It wasn’t safe to be by themselves or even in pairs. 

Ratchet. 

Frag, Wheeljack left him alone. 

He commed Fixit and heard nothing. His spark was pounding. He slowly walked back to where he was supposed to be. Wheeljack crept around, keeping his blades arched, ready to swing if needed. He squinted. 

He stopped, hearing someone on the other side of an wall of Denny’s stuff. He walked slowly to the end, pausing briefly. He leaped out, holding up his swords.  
And then there was an gun in his face. 

He froze.

“Primus, Wheeljack! I could have shot you in the face,” Ratchet exclaimed, lowering down the gun. He scowled at him.

“Sorry, sorry,” Wheeljack said, “I ran into Sideswipe and Windblade…they’re frozen.”

“Frozen?”

Wheeljack pretended to mimic them before saying again, “Frozen.”

Ratchet’s lip pressed together in an thin line before finally saying, “well that could be bad.”

“You know the decepticon who did that?”

“A decepticon that is like an Earth wasp, waspiloid. Some of them have that ability.”

“Is there an cure for them?”

“I can get the decepticon, I can make an cure,” Ratchet told him.

“We should find the others.”

Ratchet nodded.

They went back to the Alchemor. 

“Undertone!” Ratchet shouted, spotting the white mini-con. His amber optics unblinking. He was stuck in an lurking pose alongside Slipstream and Jetstorm, “Primus.”

“Frag, Fixit?” Wheeljack looked up at the orange bot, seeing he was frozen too, “Got him too.”

“Wheeljack…Ratchet?” Rusty poked his head out from the diner, “there was this large black decepticon that just came out of nowhere.”

“A waspiloid. I know,” Ratchet said. 

“Don’t worry about it, kid. The doc can fix them up,” Wheeljack assured him.

“Really?” Rusty looked up.

“If I can get the decepticon, I can,” Ratchet said, “We need to regroup and develop an plan.”

“Can I come with?”

“No, it’s better if you stay here with Denny,” Ratchet told him firmly. 

“Aww.”

“For your own safety.”

“Aw fine.”

Ratchet nodded before turning his back and started walking off in an direction. Wheeljack felt into step with him. “Bumblebee said he went over there with Drift.”

“Scrub!” Bee yelled in the distance.

Wheeljack and Ratchet looked at each other before running toward the sound. They saw Drift in mid stance, stuck. 

Ratchet looked around, “Bumblebee?”

“Ratchet?” Bee poked his head out from an barrier, “Is he gone?”

“Looks like, he flew off,” Ratchet looked up to the sky, frowning. 

“It’s an waspiloid,” Bee informed them.

“We know. Drift isn’t the only victim.”

Bee’s wings twitched.

“I can cure them with the wapiloid.”

Bee nodded and said, “Follow me.”

They walked around the parameter. Nothing. Wheeljack tensed, this thing could be anywhere. 

“Lieutenant!” Strongarm came into view. She looked relieved to see them. She opened to her mouth when Wheeljack saw an shadow appear behind her. Red optics glowing in the dark. Strongarm stiffened, before turning around. A wasp-like figure raised its sting and stuck her midsection. Strongarm froze, her mouth open and optics wide.

Wheeljack didn’t know what to do. He stood here with Bee and Ratchet. The decepticon came into view. He stood onto two legs but had four long arms. Blue wings tucked on his back and an stinger and abdomen stuck on his back as well.

“P-prey!” the decepticon hissed at them. And flew at them. 

Wheeljack and Ratchet launched to the side, hoping to avoid its stinger. Bumblebee stood, glaring and holding his decepticon hunter in front of him. The decepticon chuckled and his foot kicked the decepticon hunter away from Bee. 

Bee’s optics widened and darted around, looking for an way. It did not look good. 

Ratchet growled to himself, “he’s too close to Bee, I can’t shoot.”

Wheeljack rolled to his pedes, maybe he could tackle the wasp. But he knew he wouldn’t make it. 

“Hey Wasp-face!” Rusty appeared, waving his arms frantically. 

The decepticon turned and hissed at him. Bee jumped and kicked the decepticon’s back. The decepticon fell forward.

“Rusty!” Wheeljack yelled, running toward the kid, “We told you to stay inside!”

“I figured you needed the help!” Rusty shouted back, crossing his arms, “I helped with many missions before.”

“This is different! I don’t know what that decepticon could do to you! Not this time. Go back Miko!”

Rusty’s brows furrowed, “Miko?”

Wheeljack had already turned his back. The wasp grabbed the ankles of Bee’s feet and pulled. Bee landed on his back. Bee squirmed, trying to get to his feet. The wasp positioned his stinger. 

A green mass of metal slammed into the wasp and knocked him away. Grimlock stood and roared at the wasp decepticon.

Bee jumped to his pedes. The decepticon grinned and stuck Grimlock.

“Grim!” Bee shouted, lurching forward. The decepticon whipped around and stung Bee as well.

“Frag!” Wheeljack cursed.

The Decepticon backed away from his victims. Ratchet pulled out an gun and shot a few blasts at him.

The decepticon hissed and flew off. 

Ratchet sighed.

“I guess it’s just us, what do we do!” Wheeljack looked at the doc. 

Ratchet looked back and paused, “I think I got an idea.”

 

Wheeljack poked his head out from the spot. He was crouched on the Alchemor with an camouflaged field over him. Ratchet stood in the middle of scrapyard, unarmed. Ghost white compared to the night of the sky. He could be easily seen. 

Rusty grumbled beside him, “I hope the decepticon is coming soon.”

“He should…Ratchet is making himself easy prey.”

“Um Wheeljack...what did you mean when you called me Miko,” Rusty widened, looking up where Ratchet was, “Nevermind I see him.”

Wheeljack crept closer to the edge of the Alchemor, being careful to not fall off. He gripped the weapon in his hand. 

“P-prey,” the decepticon flew up in front of Ratchet.

Ratchet jumped, “You don’t have to do this…”

The decepticon growled, “Who do I have to lose.” And raised his stinger.

“Yee—haw!” Wheeljack jumped off the Alchemor, swinging an rope and tossed it at the decepticon. The lop of the rope tightened around the decepticon’s midsection and arms. Designed similarity to an pair of stasis cuffs. He landed on his feet and squeezed tight. The decepticon tried to wriggle, but it was no use.

“That was awesome,” Rusty yelled.

“Was the yeehaw really necessary,” Ratchet asked him. 

Wheeljack shrugged and turned to his head to grin at Rusty.

 

It wasn’t long before Ratchet cured the others with an warning that they’ll be stiff for awhile, no pun intended. And nobody really wanted to finish the movie.  
Ratchet looked around, seeing Wheeljack nowhere around. 

He frowned. 

Go check on him, Undertone send him a message. 

He nodded and headed over to Wheeljack’s ship. He was careful to knock on the door.

“Come in, it’s open.”

Ratchet stepped inside, “Are you brooding? As I recall, you were pretty good at that.”

An harsh chuckle. Ratchet stepped in further. Wheeljack was examining a bunch of items, an small cowboy hat, some of Miko’s old CDs, and a large storage pack on the bed. Wheeljack crossed his arms, “Ya think Bee would lend me some energon?”

“Going somewhere.”

Wheeljack looked up at Ratchet, “Yeah. Today, I don’t think just reminded me of the past…”

“Wheeljack.”

“I’m going to see them,” he told him, “Miko, Jack, Raf, everyone.”

Ratchet nodded. Sometimes he too, gets hit by the sudden realization that he did miss them as well, “Well, I’m not going to stop you.”  
“Will you come with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww yes, next chapter will feature our lovely human friends from prime. And the one after that, Sunstreaker and friends will finally show up.


	9. Chapter 9-They Deserve the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ratchet and Wheeljack go see Miko, Raf, Jack, June, and Agent Fowler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hopefully there are little errors. A lot of the last bit is just summary for everyone. I'm hoping it wil tie all of the ideas a bit better and also I was just gonna tell that they explained but I ended up writing it so just an warning

Normally if it was anyone else, Ratchet would say it was an bad idea. But this was Wheeljack and this was actually one of his better plans. Probably his best idea up to date.

And usually, Ratchet would tell him that he was slagging crazy. Not suggesting that instead of driving and wasting more energon across multiple states, that they take his ship and fly over there. Or that he would come with.

Ratchet told himself that he really missed Rafael and the others.

He wasn’t lying.

But he kept telling himself that it was the only reason.

“Are you sure, you don’t want me to drive?” Wheeljack drawled from the passenger seat. He was leaning back on the chair, pedes on the dashboard and arms behind his helm. Ratchet was almost shocked he didn’t try to find a piece of straw to chew. “I can get us there faster.”

Ratchet merely turned his helm toward the ex-wrecker and scowled, “And I can get us there in one piece!”

Wheeljack chuckled.

“Besides, we’re almost there,” Ratchet snorted.

Wheeljack paused for an second before saying, “You think they missed us?”

Ratchet knew without an doubt, they did. At least Raf probably missed Bee. And Miko missed Bulkhead and Wheeljack. Jack missing Arcee and Smokescreen.

“Of course, they did,” Ratchet murmured.

Wheeljack smiled at Ratchet weakly. It was one of the few times, it wasn’t an smirk. And Ratchet had to look away.

 “I wonder if they’ll come see Bee’s new team,” Wheeljack asked, “Miko would definitely get along with everyone there.”

“Raf would like to see Fixit and Denny’s creations,” Ratchet said.

“All of them would like to see Optimus again”

“And everyone one else.”

Wheeljack nodded, “what do we tell them?”

“The truth, they were part of our war too, they deserve to know what happened to us,” Ratchet sighed.

He hears a beep sound.

“Don’t tell me that the ship is about to crash,” Wheeljack didn’t looked all that concerned, leaning back in his chair again.

“I’m getting an message,” Ratchet said and looked at the alert on his dash, hoping it wasn’t the council again. But it was Optimus. “Take control and so help me primus, don’t crash.”

Wheeljack jerked up in an sitting position, “Who’s calling?” he reached for the steering wheel, and Ratchet let him go, getting up.

“Optimus.”

Wheeljack sat down in Ratchet’s seat, servos on the steering wheel, “okay.”

Ratchet went over to screen just out of the cockpit and clicked on the button. Optimus’ face appeared on the screen, “old friend.”

“Optimus,” Ratchet said, “Is there an reason for your call?”

“No, just checking on you.”

“I’m fine.”

Optimus nodded.

“What about you?”

“Same old.”

Ratchet couldn’t deprive information from that. That could mean anything.

“I’m going to see Rafael and the others,” Ratchet admitted.

Optimus opened his mouth before closing it. He opened it again.

“Optimus, before you say anything, it’s been years, months since anyone has talked to them. Since Bulkhead has spoken to Miko, Bee to Raf, Arcee to Jack,” Ratchet interrupted, narrowing his optics a bit.

“But is it wise?”

Ratchet almost bit his lip to keep from retorting, _is it wise to be keep everyone out of the blue._ He stared back up at Optimus, “Yes. They were a part of this war too, they deserve to know what happened, they deserved to be a part of it.”

Optimus was looking at him, his face completely neutral.

It almost made Ratchet want to backtrack. Almost. But Ratchet meant what he said.

“Very well.”

“I’m just going to tell them, what they do is up to them. Besides, I miss them.”

Optimus nodded, “They were one of an kind.”

“They are,” Ratchet corrected instantly.

Wheeljack poked his head through the cockpit, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

 _Just some awkwardness._ Ratchet turned his head and looked at Wheeljack. He wasn’t smiling or frowning.

And Ratchet turned back to Optimus.

Optimus looked mildly surprised, his eyebrows furrowing, “Wheeljack…”

“Optimus…” Wheeljack crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. He looked slightly unimpressed and amused at the same time. Ratchet didn’t know anyone could do that, but Wheeljack pulled it off well, “We just passed Nevada, we should reach Jasper soon.

Optimus nodded once before saying, “I will leave you to it. Send them my regards.”

“Will do,” Ratchet said.

Optimus’ face disappeared into an blank screen. Ratchet swirled around to look at Wheeljack.

“I figure that was a bit awkward for you,” Wheeljack said, tilting his helm.

“So, we’re not near Nevada?” Ratchet questioned. He raised an eyebrow.

“And we’re that too.”

“I’m hoping you put that on autopilot,” Ratchet gestured toward the cockpit.

“Nah, just freestyling it.”

Ratchet narrowed his optics at Wheeljack.

“Kidding, Sunshine. Of course, I did.”

Ratchet started to protest, but stop. What was the point? If Wheeljack wanted to call him Sunshine, he was going to get called Sunshine. And looking at Wheeljack’s scarred face, he didn’t mean.

Wheeljack looked at out through the cockpit. Ratchet against his better judgement studied Wheeljack’s lean frame. It was almost an flash, but Ratchet wondered for a split thought, about tugging on the seams, the edges of the plating of white, green, and red, finding the wires. If there was anything to make Wheeljack to lose his smirk. That cool expression. Ratchet shook his helm.

Wheeljack, “Miko, Raf, Jack, Fowler, June, here we come.”

 

Miko Nakadai had many things to thank the bots for. They didn’t know this, she hadn’t spoken to them about two years. But she was sure if weren’t for them, she wouldn’t be where she was. She wouldn’t have just gotten accepted to that program, to become an government agent. Like Fowler. Like Jack is going to be.

If it hadn’t been for the bots, who knows where she be? Would she finish high school? Go to university? Would she have gone back to Japan, instead of staying?

She had to thank Optimus, Bulkhead, Wheeljack and the others for that.

Maybe one day, she would be able to tell them again.

Miko parked her bike. She immediately checked her cell phone. No answer yet. She knew Chloe was busy tonight. But she still hoped she would have gotten a text like have fun. I know I said this before but congrats.

She jammed her phone into the pocket and hopped over to the door, opening it, “Hello?”

“Miko, good timing, we’re just about to get started,” June walked by, carrying an bowl of potatoes.

“Well, you can’t get started without me,” Miko grinned, taking off her jacket. She followed June into the dining room. Jack, Raf, and Agent Fowler was already sitting down at the table.

They all stood up and clapped for her, “Congrats, Miko!”

“You’ll make an fine agent,” Agent Fowler complimented her. June placed down the potatoes and pecked Agent Fowler’s on the cheek.

She shuffled her feet, looking almost flustered, “Even if I’m reckless?”

“Sometimes, that makes you an better agent.”

They sat back down before dinner.

“You think Bulkhead will be happy for me?” Miko asked softly, stirring her potatoes around.

June set down her fork, “Of course, he will.”

“He would be thrilled,” exclaimed Jack. 

“Everyone would be, Miko,” Raf explained, looking at her. She was surprised how tall he’s gotten. Three-four inches since last year, “Even Ratchet.”

“I know, it’s just that,” she paused, “Have you be able to contact them recently?” Her tone sounded hopeful.

Agent Fowler frowned, furrowing his eyebrows, “None, not for months, and even though it was an random bot, what’s his face. Not one of team prime,” Agent Fowler mimicked an robots voice, “Cybertron is good and all.”

Her chest felt painfully tight, but she nodded.

“Let’s not talk about that,” Jack said.

 _When will they?_ She checked her phone. Nothing.

“Well, Raf, how’s school going?”

“It’s going well.”

“And your computer program?”

“Even better,” Raf said.

“Good good.”

Then suddenly she heard a car honk. Then again. She shot up out of her seat. Was it, Chloe? And peeked out the window.

Outside, in the parking lot. There was a familiar white car, with red and green markings. She started at it for an moment, blinking. Like she couldn’t believe it. Like she couldn’t believe her own eyes.

“Wheeljack,” she said. She rubbed her eyes, he was still there. “Wheeljack!”

The others were instantly on their feet, to the window. Miko was already running to the door. She threw it open and stepped outside.

Wheeljack backed out of the parking lot and drove off.

“Wheeljack! Where are you going!” She yelled, jumping down from the steps.

“Come into the car,” June yelled, “We’ll follow him.”

They cramped into the car, June whipping out of the parking space before they could buckle their seat belts. Miko hoped they didn’t miss him.

And they didn’t.

Because Wheeljack was waiting for them at the end of the street before driving away.

“What game is he playing at?” Miko demanded.

“He’s probably leading us somewhere he can transform,” June told her.

So they followed him. After an while, they knew he was leading them. Their old base.

“There aren’t agents there?” Jack asked.

“We abandoned it after the bots left, there was no point, especially since none of them seemed to want to stay,” Fowler answered.

“Until now,” Raf said.

They parked in front of the building, the one where they held meetings. Miko leaped out of the car, running toward it. She shoved open the door and Wheeljack was sitting his alt mode.

“Wheeljack,” she had tears in her eyes.

The car transformed and Wheeljack stood there, grinning at her. He looked the same as before. “What’s up, kid?”

“Jackie,” she let out an sob and ran up to him. He bent down, bringing down his hand so she could jump on it. He brought her to his face and she hugged his face, “I missed you so much.”

He chuckled, “me too. New hair cut?”

She stopped wearing her hair in piglets, going for an half shaven look. She still had that pink streak, “Yeah.”

The other had walked in.

“Hiya, everyone,” Wheeljack looked down.

“Wheeljack, what an surprise,” Agent Fowler said.

“Good, I was hoping it would be.”

“Is it just you or?” Raf asked.

“And me,” Ratchet appeared, crossing his arms. He didn’t look as tired as before, Miko noted. He still looked tired, but he almost looked less stressed.

“Ratchet!” Raf ran up to him, grinning.

“Rafael, you’re looking well,” Ratchet said, his optics lightening up.

“And taller.” Wheeljack said.

“Wheeljack!” Ratchet growled half-heartedly.

“Well, you were thinking Sunshine, don’t lie.”

Ratchet rolled his optics, smiling a tiny bit.

“Okay, hold on,” Miko glared at the two bots.

Wheeljack jumped, looking at her wide eyed.

“It’s been months, years for you guys’ case,” Miko crossed her arms, meeting Wheeljack’s optics.

“Oh, that’s an funny story,” Wheeljack rubbed the back of his helm, “Not funny as much as sad.”

“Sad?” June said softly.

“What do you mean sad?” Miko demanded, “you defeated the decepticons, you’re at peace now, aren’t you?”

Ratchet’s optics dimmed a bit as he grew serious, “I wish it was that simple.”

“What happened?”

Ratchet sighed and leaned against the wall, “After Optimus died…”

Miko bit her lip, she knew that he sacrificed himself for Cybertron. She cried for an hour straight. 

“Other than grieving for him,” Ratchet was looking at the ground, “we were okay. Autobots came back. Many of the decepticons surrendered for freedom. They were just fighting an war for the most part.”

“I have a feeling there’s a but in there,” Agent Fowler said.

“When Optimus reactivated the allspark into Vector Stigma, he not only made it so that new Cybertronians can be created, but he called back all Cybertronians back to Cybertron. The neutrals who refused to take part in the war, they all came back.”

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing?" June asked.

“I thought it was at first,” Ratchet told her, “but our war didn’t necessary left the Planet in best shape, they were furious at the destruction. They were furious at all of us, autobots and deceptcions.”

“I would have told them to suck it up and help fix it, they’re the ones who didn’t fight,” Miko jutted out her bottom lip and put her hands on her hips.

“It’s not that simple, Miko. They had a point…they did make up most of the population now. We felt-.”

“That you owned it to them,” Jack completed the sentence.

Ratchet nodded, “We let them take over leadership roles, take over…make up an Council.”

Wheeljack went over and put his free servo on Ratchet’s shoulder, “It wasn’t good enough for them. The autobots and decepticons who disapproved of them were prisoned or sent off. Most of the decepticons despite surrendering were imprisoned. They refused to let us have a say. Ratchet tried.”

“I should have tried harder,” Ratchet whispered.

“You tried,” Wheeljack squeezed his shoulder again, “Again, many autobots listened to them because they didn’t want to fight again.”

“They hated Optimus for what he started.”

“It needed to be done,” Agent Fowler said.

“I know that,” Ratchet said, “They still blame him. Everyone close to him were heavily watched.”

“I ended up leaving after an couple of months,” Wheeljack murmured, “I promised Bulk I wouldn’t leave, but I did.”

“Jackie…”

“Wheeljack, you did what you feel like you needed to do,” Ratchet said, looking up at him, “I realize now, the Council wouldn’t like you anyway.”

“But Bulk.”

“Will probably forgive you,” Ratchet said, “because it only got worse. Allspark started creating bots that resembled Earth animals.”

“Cool!” Miko exclaimed without thinking, “sorry.”

“It’s fine, but the Council didn’t like them, those bots live in the poorest parts of Cybertron and imprisoned easily, the Council calls them decepticons.”

“Makes sense,” Agent Fowler said, “Call them something that people hate.”

Ratchet nodded, “The Council likes to have complete control of what we do.”

“What happened to other members of Prime.”

“Bee got stationed in Kaon as an cop.”

“That doesn’t bad?”

“Yeah, the council easily kept an eye on him. I believe Knockout is still an medic in Iacon for the council. Smokescreen disappeared to who knows where. Bulkhead, Arcee, and Ultra Magnus, became an small team, investigating whatever the Council wishes. I don’t know much, the Council wanted me separate from everyone else,” Ratchet said.

“Why?”

“Because of Optimus,” Raf said.

Ratchet nodded, “Yes exactly, I was Optimus’ best friend. An threat. They send me off planet, I became an bounty hunter in charge of going after decepticons.”

“You an bounty hunter?” Miko said.

“Yes.”

“By yourself?” Raf asked.

“They partnered me with an mini-con,” Ratchet said.

“Mini-con?”

Ratchet smiled a little, “You might want to back up a bit.”

They did.

Ratchet straightened his arm, and this white shell thing on his arm jumped off it. And transformed into an small white robot. The mini-con waved at them, “This is Undertone.”

“He’s so cute,” Miko squeaked and took her phone out to take an picture. She forgot to turn off the flash. 

The mini-con backed into he bumped into Ratchet’s leg.

“It’s okay, it’s what she does. You get used to it.”

“I bet he’s heard all about me.”

“Doesn’t listen…reckless…,” Ratchet said, he sounded like he was teasing, "but overall, an good and brave person, yes he's heard about all of you."

“One things don’t make sense,” Agent Fowler, “Why are you two together?”

“Like did the Council sent you here and you ran into Wheeljack and decided to visit us?” Raf asked. 

Ratchet smiled, “The Council send me here months ago, I came back an couple months ago.”

“Without their permission.”

Ratchet smiled even wider. It seemed weird for Miko to see. He rarely did that. 

“Why?”

“When I came back to Earth for the first time, I ran into Bee.”

“He’s here too!” Raf said and looked around.

“On Earth, yes. Here, no. He came to Earth because a decepticon prison ship crashed and released them. He’s here to stop them. He would have visited, it's just a lot he has to do.”

“With the Council’s permission?” June guessed.

Wheeljack grinned, “Not exactly.”

“I mean, the Council let him do in peace for the most part. But he found out that Optimus is still alive and send him here.”

“What! Oh my god!” Miko shrieked.

“How?” Agent Fowler was grinning. So was everyone.

“From what he’s told me, the Realm of Primes saved him. And he got brought back to life. He worked with Bee’s new team, the bots Bee recruited.”

“Ohhh.” Miko said.

“He discovered what’s Cybertron and he’s investigating it. I know Optimus, he’s seeing the injustice of it.”

“And he’s going to against the Council.”

“He hasn’t exactly said that yet but I presume yes. That’s when I decided to follow Optimus and Bee, and stay here.”

“What about you, Jackie?” Miko ask

“Being an exiled Cybertronian in an universe that isn’t friendly toward Cybertronian, was challenging. I came here for energon, hoping I can find some, I crashed my ship and got injured. It wasn’t for Sunshine and the Bee Team, I would have offline.”

“Well, I think I speak for everyone, but if you need our help, you got it,” Agent Fowler said.

“Besides, we would like to Bee and his new team members.”

“Think of it as mixed of teenagers, an samurai and his kids, dinosaur, a small tech guy, and an junk collector and his son trying to work together while bickering,” Wheeljack smirked.

“Cool!” Miko exclaimed.

“But we also want to know what you guys are up to.”

“Jack is going to become an government agent and I just got accepted to that program as well,” Miko said, beaming.

“That’s amazing, kid,” Wheeljack told her.

“It’s more than amazing, that is that is…,” Ratchet said, “I’m proud of you, Miko. And you Jack.”

“Thanks, Ratchet,” Jack and Miko said together.

“Raf is due to graduate high school two years early.” June smiled.

“I know Rafael can do it,” Ratchet started.

“I think I’m going to work for the government as well.”

“We’ll be really happy to have you.”

“And I got remarried,” June said, and Agent Fowler slung an arm around June. “Mrs. June Darby-Fowler.”

“Good for you, I knew after that ‘milk run’ you two hit it off.”

“Miko?” came an small voice. Miko turned her head and saw Chloe poking her head through the door, “I was on my way and I saw you leave so I followed and-,” she looked up and saw Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Undertone, “uh…”

“Hi,” Wheeljack waved and set Miko down on the floor/

Chloe’s eyes widened even more and her jaw dropped open. “Uh…g-giant ro-ro-robots.”

“Chloe, I can explain,” Miko started.

Chloe ran off.

“Chloe! Wait!” Miko ran off after her, “Let me explain!”

Wheeljack and Ratchet looked at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, summed up. In the idw universe, they had the neutral being pissed at both parties and Optimus. So i thought it was possible for it to happen here. From the hints throughout rid, it seems like it. 
> 
> Next Chapter is Sunstreaker's appearance. I will hopefully write it within this week or shortly after. 
> 
> Again, let me know what you think? Or anything you think you might want to see. Cause I guess this is gonna be 70 chapter fic because


	10. Chapter 10-There are Two of You???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunstreaker arrives with his mysterious companions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I really meant to finish this chapter like over a week ago. Really Sorry about that. The ending of this chapter is rushed cause I literally just finished. Hopefully i will be quicker with the next one. And with the arrival of season 3, I'll try to keep as canon as I can. But the canon divergence might begin

Sideswipe liked these warm days on Earth the best. The warmth of the sun on his plating. It just felt so nice.

He finally got back from his patrol with Bee. Nothing but road. He stretched out his structs and released Jetstorm and Slipstream.

“Thank you, Sideswipe for taking us,” Jetstorm said.

“Yes, thank you,” Slipstream chimed in as well.

“No sweat, it was just an patrol,” Sideswipe shrugged, smiling wryly.

“We’re going to practise our skills; will you care to join us?” Slipstream asked.

“Nah, I think I’m gonna rest my struts,” Sideswipe cocked his hip and crossed his arms, “get some sun before it rains.”

“Alright see you later,” Slipstream said before walking away with Jetstorm.

“Okay, see ya later,” Sideswipe said.

“You know if you ever get bored, you can always wash the Alchemor,” Bee said with a smirk.

“That’s hilarious,” Sideswipe snorted, “Save that one for the comedy act.”

“Oh yes, one all just about you,” Bee rolled his optics.

“The one and only,” Sideswipe smirked.

Bee was just trying not to smile, “Well, I’m hitting the wash racks before any thing else happens.” Bee gestured toward himself.

“You certainly need it,” Sideswipe glanced at Bee’s mud caked wings and paint. “I’m still not sure how you found a mud puddle.”

Bee just shrugged, “I better go before this mud finds a way into my gears.” He left, picking the mud off his arm.

Sideswipe went over to his ‘self made’ napping area. It was just a long plank of metal and wood attached together that was some spot in the sun.

He laid down on it, putting his servos behind his helm. He offlined his optics, sighing in contempt as the sun hit his plating. He really did enjoy this.

A minute or two later…he wasn’t sure. Some time passed, he overheard Denny’s voice. Curious, he onlined his optics and turned his head. Denny was on the phone. His brows were furrowed together, he looked concerned. He kept muttering and raising his voice.

“Hmph, I’ve never seen him like this,” Sideswipe asked.

“He’s talking to my mom,” Russell answered, walking up to him.

Sideswipe looked down at him, confused.

“She was the one who created me with Denny,” Rusty explained, “She raised me.”

“Oh…kay then. What’s are they arguing about?”

“Probably about me,” Rusty frowned, “It’s what they always argue about. My mom let me live with my dad, it was supposed to be for the summer while she was on an archeological trip.”

“S-summer?” Sideswipe asked.

“It’s a three month break from school,” Rusty answered.

“But it’s been more than 3 months,” Sideswipe paused to make sure that he got that correct, Yeah. More than 3. More like 5 or 6 months.

“Yeah, she’s still there. My dad got me into the public school here. I think its about that, they’re talking about.”

“Ugh, school, am I right?”

Rusty corked an smile, “Right…I have to tell her soon that I want to live here with my dad.”

“Does that have anything to do with us?”

“Well yes, I want to be around you guys, helping you. We’re like a family. You’re like my cooler older brother.”

Sideswipe flinched and hoped Rusty didn’t see it. Rusty was like the brother he wished he had. “Little bro.”

Rusty rolled his eyes,” Anyway, I’m gonna watch some TV,” Rusty said, walking away.

“Alright, I’m just gonna take an nap.”

He offlined his optics. And rested…

“What the frag is that?” Sideswipe heard Bumblebee yell.

Sideswipe jerked up and onlined his optics.

“We’re under attack!” Bee shouted, “I think!”

Sideswipe scrambled to his pedes and ran, spotting Bee. Bee was pointing toward the sky, his servo already reaching for the gun on his hip.

Sideswipe looked up and saw a small ship.

“It doesn’t seem like a battle ship or war ship but it looks like a cargo ship, we can’t be sure,” Bee was babbling, looking back and forth between the ship and Sideswipe.

And then it clicked into his brain module.

He forgot to tell Bee about Sunstreaker.

Well more like he kept putting it off until he forgot. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Bee. He’d just not used to telling bots about Sunny. And he didn’t know to talk about Sunny and his relationship with him.

The rest of the team drive into the center and transformed except Grimlock who just walked.

“We heard you, we’re under attacked?” Drift asked.

“Appears so, I don’t know. They haven’t attacked.”

“Maybe, they are seeking refugee?”

Sideswipe looked up at Strongarm and Windblade.

“You didn’t tell the lieutenant, did you?” Strongarm told him.

Sideswipe shook his helm.

“Tell me what?” Bee was looking at them, frowning.

Sideswipe rubbed the back of his helm, “That’s probably my brother…Sunstreaker.”

“You have a brother,” Bee stared in confusion.

“An twin brother yes.”

“Sideswipe! You have a twin brother; you guys can have siblings?” Rusty exclaimed.

“In Sideswipe’s case, its because they were created of the same spark that split into two sparks, very rare. I’ve only met an few,” Bee explained.

“There are two of you?” Drift had this look of terror on his face plate.

“That’s right, Drift, darling, you’ll love him.”

Drift just merely looked at him, “Why doesn’t that reassure me?”

“Is there a reason that your brother decided to come visit now, we’ve been here for months?” Bee asked.

“Oh…he’s on the run from the Council…”

“You’re the good twin?” Drift gasped.

“No…no,” Sideswipe waved his servos, “Sunny was the good one, the one the council liked. I don’t know what he did but it was enough for him to run.”

“He’s a criminal,” Bee said.

“Yeah, but I know my brother and he’s not evil.” Vain. Self Absorbed. Un noticing of any other’s problem. All of those could be used to explain Sunny. Not evil. “Whatever he did, it was for an good reason,” Sideswipe said and believed it.

“But wouldn’t the Council guessed where Sunstreaker will go? You’re his brother.”

“Estranged brother,” he corrected, “We weren’t that close besides the Council hasn’t looked into us for months. Not since Drift or Fracture came.”

“Good times,” Bee looked up at the ship, “He can stay.”

“Are you sure?” Drift asked.

Bee glanced over at Sideswipe, “Yes.”

Sideswipe said, “Thank you.”

“WE…better get out of the way,” Strongarm was pointing at the ship, her optics wide. Sideswipe turned to look where she was pointing, the ship was much closer than Sideswipe realize. And coming toward them.

“Frag scatter!” Sideswipe transformed and drove up to Rusty, opening his door for him. Rusty hopped inside and Sideswipe drove off.

They all made it out of the way as the ship blew by them and crashed into a stack of Denny’s collection of some sorts.

Sideswipe stood here, staring at the ship door. His frame so tensed, he could almost feel gears grinding. His spark thumping. He felt a servo slid into his. He looked over and Strongarm gave him a reassuring smile. Another hand slid into his free servo. He turned, seeing Windblade giving him a matching smile. He squeezed them both.

The door opened slowly. It felt like minutes. Okay maybe a few seconds more than it should.

And Sunstreaker stepped out.

His yellow paint still shone brightly. His helm still had the yellow and black ear thing. And he was smiling like it was just a visit to see Sideswipe. Not Sideswipe was letting me take refugee from the council.

He looked and meet Sideswipe’s optics, still grinning, “Sides!”

“Sunny,” Sideswipe let go of Strongarm and Windblade’s servos and walked slowly toward Sunny.

Sunny met him half way, flinging his arms around him and squeezing Sideswipe tightly.

Sideswipe felt himself tense up before sighing and hugging his twin back.

Sunny buried his helm into Sideswipe’s neck, “I missed you.”

“Me too,” Sideswipe whispered.

“I don’t what I would have done without you.”

Sideswipe pulled away to look at Sunny. His face similar to his own. If Sideswipe donned yellow paint, that helm (the top part was like Sideswipe but less spiky), and his old cybertronian alt mode, he would not look any different from Sunny.

Sunny let go of Sideswipe to look around at the other. “You must be Sideswipe’s…”

“Team,” Sideswipe said.

“And friends,” Bee added.

Sunny’s optics went wide when he realized who said that. He let out a little squeaky sound, “Bumblebee! The Bumblebee? The heroic war hero. That Bumblebee.” Sunny went up to Bee, grabbing Bee’s servos and looking up at him, grinning.

“The one and only,” Sideswipe said with a smirk.

Bee looked a little wide eyed, like he didn’t know what to do.

“Big fan!” Sunny chirped, “I can’t believe Sideswipe didn’t tell me that he was working with you.”

Bee looked over at Sideswipe, “yeah…”

Sideswipe laughed nervously.

Sunny looked around, at Strongarm, “Are you the cadet who dragged my brother to Earth?”

“I’m Strongarm,” She nodded awkwardly, “but yeah.”

“I surprisingly don’t regret that,” Sideswipe said, remembering that his brother at times had no filter.

“I’m Windblade,” Windblade offered.

“Hi, nice frame. Very sleek,” Sunny noted.

“Ah…thanks?”

Sunny looked up at Grimlock, “Big…I like it.”

Sideswipe almost slapped his forehead.

“I am big,” Grimlock agreed.

“Sunstreaker,” Sunstreaker smiled.

“Grimlock.”

Sunny turned his attention to Drift, “And you are.”

“Drift, that’s all you need to know.”

“I’m Jetstorm and this is Slisptream,” Jetstorm said.

“Well aren’t you guys are cute,” Sunny noted and looked over at Rusty, “Who you even have a earth native.”

“I’m Russell.”

“Hi…humans are so tiny,” Sunny said.

“Right,” Rusty said.

“Well that’s most of the team,” Sideswipe interrupted. He grabbed his twin’s arm and turned him to look him in the optic. “Sunny, we need to know…what did you do? I felt you being chased, I felt you get shot.”

“Ruined my paintjob,” Sunny frowned, glancing down at his arm which was patched up, “What I did, it’s better for you to see.”

“See?”

Sunny whistled and out of the ship, an purple and black blur ran up to them and knocked him down.

Sideswipe struggled, trying to move the black mass off him. Sunny was giggling, “Down, boy, down.”

The mass moved off them and Sideswipe can finally see it. And almost screamed.

Sunny was cooing and petting an insecticon. Sideswipe looked around at his team who were giving identical loos of surprise. As far as insecticons ago, this one was rather small. And was purring loudly and pushing its helm against Sunny’s servo.

“This is Bob…I…er…adopted him,” Sunny said.

“Your twin has a giant pet robot insecticon,” Drift stated the obvious.

“I guess so.”

“When you say adopted, you mean,” Strongarm started.

“He means he stole him, that’s what he means,” Sideswipe realized, “That’s why.”

“They were going to kill him,” Sunny exclaimed, standing up. Bob pressed against Sunny’s legs, “I had to!”

“Slow down, start from the beginning,” Bee came up beside him, putting a hand on Sunny’s shoulder.

“I found him, when I was out. He looked so small and adorable, he was injured. I couldn’t just leave him. The council didn’t like them…his kind. So I couldn’t give him to the council. So-so I kept,” Sunny crouched and wrapped his arms around Bob, who gave a content purr.

“But he’s an insecticon, shouldn’t they be able to transform?” Windblade asked.

“Not Bob, some insecticons are created without functioning t-cogs and simpler processors,” Sunny explained, “I don’t know why?”

“So he’s a pet,” Grimlock said.

“Like a dog,” Rusty commented.

Sunny scoffed and waved a digit, “I don’t know what a dog is but he is certainly more than a dog.”

Sideswipe put his servos on his hips, “So far you’ve done was adopt a pet.”

“I accidently let him go and he tried to snuggle someone who thought he was attacking them,” Sunny frowned, “The council nabbed them and I was put on probation. I heard that they were going to kill him and so me and couple others broke in and rescued you, you can probably guess what happened.”

“They noticed you and chased you until you got into a ship and called me,” Sideswipe answered.

“That’s right, little bro.”

Sideswipe groaned at the nickname.

“Well, you are welcome to stay here,” Bee said.

“Your friends…” Sideswipe said.

“Friends?” Bee asked.

“Oh right, I wondered….,” Sunny trailed off. He stood up, Bob nuzzling his leg, “Guys, come on!”

Sideswipe heard pedes walking and looked up at the doorway.

“I was making sure my finish was perfect, so sor-ry,” the mech didn’t sound apologetic. He appeared in the doorway, red paint shining. He walked in, his hips swaying side to side. His long slender digits curved around them.

“Knock Out,” Bee gasped, staring at the red mech, his mouth dropping open.

A blue and yellow speedster appeared behind him, “Sorry, Knock Out insisted that I did his back struct…Bumblebee?”

“Smokescreen?”

Grimlock looked between the mechs, “Wait, you all know each other?”

“Smokescreen was an part of Team Prime,” Strongarm answered.

“Oh.”

“Hey, I was part of prime too,” Knock Out protested.

“Yeah at the end,” Smokescreen snorted. He walked around Knock Out and skimmed over to Bee was, grabbing Bee’s arms. Both sets of their doorwings, fluttering upwards, “I should have known when Sunny said Sideswipe was with a rogue possibly crazy lieutenant on Earth, I should have known it was you.”

“Hey,” Bee laughed a little, smiling, “Well, guilty as charge.”

“What are you doing here, Bee?” Smokescreen leaned closer.

“Well, a decepticon prison ship crashed,” Bee rubbed the back of his neck, “My team and I were stopping by and we decided to stay here.”

 Smokescreen hopped, well it seemed like it. He turned and grabbed Strongarm’s servos, “And you are?”

“I’m Strongarm,” Strongarm said shyly.

Bee introduced everyone again, pointing and listing them.

“Nice to know, champ,” said a feminine voice. Sideswipe turned and saw a tall lanky femme. She was a mixed of purples, turquoise, and green. Her arms had little spikes, green and turquoises. A shark head was placed on her back. Half of fins on her legs. Her helm was framed by fins.

“Who’s this?” Sideswipe asked.

“I am Aquablast at your service,” the femme bowed. She grinned, showing lines of pointed purple teeth. Her amber optics glowed. She straightened up.“It’s ya local inspiring medical student who hates insecticon cruelty.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay here,” Bee told her.

Aquablast crossed her arms as she leaned against the door, “Well, that’s good since I kinda lost my non-existent medical licence.”

Smokescreen wrapped his arm around Bee. Then they alongside Knock Out walked off.

“We can show you guys around,” Sideswipe said.

Sunstreaker stood up and seemed to take his first real look around the scrapyard. His face shifted to one of horror, “Sideswipe, you didn’t tell me you lived in a junkyard!”

 

Bee couldn’t believe that Smokescreen and Knock Out were here. In front of him. Smokescreen looked the same since Bee last saw him. So did Knock Out. Bee felt so different than before, back during the war. During the first days of post war.

Smokescreen turned and stared at him, his door wings fluttering, “Okay, we’re all curious about why you’re here.”

Bee crossed his arms and sighed, “Optimus.”

“Optimus?” Smokescreen frowned, wings dipping. He looked at Bee, sadly.

“That doesn’t make sense, Bee,” Knock Out said, “Optimus is in the allspark right now.”

“It’s a long story.”

“So you better start talking since we’re trash buddies now,” Smokescreen put his hand on hips. He gave Bee this look that made him look more mature, older than Bee remembered.

And Bee explained everything. His visions. Optimus. Alchemor. Megatronus. Decepticon Island. Starscream. Combiners. They listened to him quietly well Smokescreen made the occasion comment. Meaning a comment every sentence Bee said.

He finished, looking up at the other bots.

“You’re going against the council,” Knock Out said after a moment.

“What…no,” Bee shook his helm, “Maybe…I don’t know.”

“You said Optimus was investigating Cybertron, you know he wouldn’t stand for this.”

“And you just took us, now criminals, in,” Knock Out grumbled.

“You ran off from Cybertron, we know you. You don’t like what’s going on there. I don’t. Optimus gave you a chance to leave and you did. Let’s do something about it,” Smokescreen exclaimed.

“We can’t. Not yet. I don’t know what Optimus is doing. What we’re doing. Look, all I have is this team here. I don’t need to full out go against the council. I don’t need them wiping us out. Not until I know what Optimus is doing. Not until we stand a chance,” Bee let his wings dropped and rubbed his temples. He felt very tired all of the sudden.

Smokescreen touched his shoulder, “Well, I’m with you.”

“More like stuck with me,” Bee said.

“The ship is still working yet, we can still leave,” Smokescreen joked, nudging his shoulder.

“Well yeah, you didn’t crash your ship into a tree like Wheeljack did.”

“Wait, Wheeljack? No one has seen him in like years,” Smokescreen’s optics went wider.

“Yeah, he crash-landed here. Even Ratchet decided to stay here.”

“Primus, the old gang is almost here.”

 

For once, Sideswipe watched his twin raced in his new earth mode, identical to Sideswipe’s alt mode. Sunny raced toward him, transforming midway through. Sunny looked down and examined himself. He even had the similar markings on his side that Sideswipe had.

“I guess it’s not bad for an Earth vehicle,” Sunny shrugged.

“It’s the best to offer,” Sideswipe leaned against a stack.

“At least, we look like twins again,” Sunny commented, coming closer again, “Except the autobot symbol.”

Sideswipe looked down at his chest, “I’m an autobot.”

Sunny traced his digit on the symbol, “You got that after you left,”

Sideswipe nodded, “I wanted to make sure that I was the rebel. I wasn’t gonna slap a decepticon symbol on my chest. I’ll probably get arrested instead of warning.”

“You definitely make things harder for the council.”

“Not as much as you did, my twin,” Sideswipe said, “I just did petty things.”

“I really did miss you, you could have call me.”

 _Same back at you,_ Sideswipe remembered the times where he constantly checked his com for Sunny. Or wondered if Sunny even cared. “Yeah…I was pretty lonely by myself.”

“Until you joined this team, I never peg you as a team player. It was always you and me, or just you or me.”

“I had trouble getting along at first, but this team, we’re like a family. We’re close. I’m grateful for them. When I first put on an autobot symbol,” Sideswipe smiled, “It was an act of defiance, to say that I wasn’t neutral. I wasn’t the council’s pet. But with this team, I really am an autobot.”

Sunny nodded, looking down, “Maybe things would be easier in the long run if I get that.”

Sideswipe wrapped his arm around Sunny, “Hey, at least we’re together again. Sunny and Sides.”

Sideswipe turned his head, seeing Rusty looking up at them sadly.

“Rusty,” Sideswipe started to say.

Rusty just turned away and walked off.

Maybe Sideswipe should have mentioned that he had a twin to Rusty before this. Sunny was leaning against him. And Sideswipe smiled at his twin. He’d talk with Rusty later. He looked around, seeing Aquablast talking with everyone else, laughing. Strongarm and Windblade were grinning.

Denny Clay walked by, turning off his phone, looking up at and seeing the new bots, “Is it just me or are there more of you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aquablast, a character I literally made up because I wanted another character with Sunny and I didn't know who so you'll get shark girl. I'll try to expand on her later on. Next chapter, it back at it again with Wheeljack and Ratchet. And I literally mean it I want everyone to appear. 
> 
> Sorry for any grammar mistakes and thank you for reading.


	11. Drives and long talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wheeljack follows Miko after she runs after Chloe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuck, I meant to finish way way earlier. Way way earlier. I'm so lazy. I'm sorry peeps. I'll try to write the next one quicker. Sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes.

Miko didn't think, she bolted after Chloe. She heard Wheeljack yell after her, she chose to focus on Chloe. 

"Chloe, wait!" Miko shouted. 

Chloe paused and looked at her, tears running down her cheeks.

Miko froze dead in her tracks.  _Oh no, tears._ "Chloe-."

"What was that back there," Chloe narrowed her eyes. Her eyes always turn bluer when she got angry or cried or sad. Miko loved the color of them. Not now though. All she felt right now was guilt, "Giant talking robots!"

"Actually giant alien robots that turn into vehicles," Miko corrected and instantly regretted that. It wasn't time to get hick picky over details. 

"Aliens!? Alien robots, that everyone except me knows," she snapped, biting her bottom lip. 

"I met them years ago, before I met you."

"And you didn't tell me? You seem close to them."

"They were...are some of my closest friends."

Chloe frowned, "I thought we were close."

"We are," Miko reached for Chloe. 

Chloe backed away from her, "I just thought that if we were, you would have told me about people-aliens that were a big part of your life."

"It was classified! I couldn't tell anyone!"

"Since when do you follow the rules."

Miko bit her lip. 

Chloe turned around. 

"Chloe!" Milo reached for her again. 

"I need to be alone right now," Chloe shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket and walked off. 

"I'll talk to you later then." Miko got no reply to that. She felt tears built up in her eyes.

"Get in, kid!" Wheeljack pulled up beside her. 

Miko popped open the door and climbed in. 

"Seatbelt, Ratchet will yell at me if I drive without you wearing a seat belt."

She put on her seat belt, wondering when exactly Jackie cared about Ratchet yelling at him. 

Wheeljack started to drive. 

It was silent.

"So she seems nice," Wheeljack said after an moment. 

"Yes," she said glumly, "yeah, she is."

"So..."

"I don't know why I didn't tell her about you guys, she's part of the same program I'm part of. She was going to find out eventually, Agent Fowler teaches new recruits about you guys in case you guys came back or something happened, apparently, I don't know. Or I could have gotten clearance by him and the others. Chloe is trustworthy," She was babbling and she felt more tears built up. She was trying so hard not to cry. 

Wheeljack paused for a moment, "Maybe, it's because we've been gone for so long, that part of your life seemed gone as well."

"Maybe," she didn't think so. She felt like she was chasing that part of her life, becoming an agent. 

Wheeljack must have sensed it as well, "Come on, I'll take you to our spot."

"Okay."

"Hmmm, hold on, Ratchet is calling me," Wheeljack said, "What's up, Sunshine?"

Miko heard Ratchet sigh in the background, "Did you find them?"

"I'm here," Miko said, "Chloe left."

"I'm driving Miko for a small drive, okay, doc?" 

"Just be careful."

"Am I always?"

"Is that a joke?" Ratchet asked. Miko thought he sounded almost amused at that. 

"What do you mean?" Wheeljack faked confusion. 

"Just watch out for trees," Ratchet gave a small laugh. 

Miko blinked.  _Did he just laugh?_

Wheeljack chuckled, "We'll be back in a hour."

"I'll start worrying in two hours."

"Good call, doc," Wheeljack hung up. Miko felt a little glad that Wheeljack was here. She still came to that spot sometimes, especially when she missed him or Bulkhead or the others.

 

When they got there, Miko immediately hop out and went over to edge of the cliff. She flopped down, dangling her feet over the edge. Wheeljack watched before transforming and sitting down beside him. He always thought it was kinda neat, seeing the desert spread out before him. He could see miles and miles before him. Miko was quiet, only staring in front of her. 

 "The sunset is pretty," Wheeljack said, making some conversation. He looked down at Miko, wincing at the sad look on her face. 

"So...is Chloe like a friend or...," Wheeljack scrambled to think of the correct word for it, "conjunx?"

"Conjunx?" Miko peeked up and wrinkled her nose, "What's that?"

"Uhhh," Wheeljack started, "It's what..." He pressed two fingers together. "When two mechs love each other very much..." Frag, he sounded like he was talking to sparklings. "It's when they...uh...they p-promised to spend of their lives together." He made it very vague. He knew there was much to it. The bond, the spark merging etc etc.

"Oh, it's like marriage," Miko said.

Wheeljack nodded, "That was the word I was looking for earlier."

"So Conjunx is what you guys call marriage, interesting."

"Kind of, it's a special process for us," Wheeljack kicked up with one leg, reaching nothing, "It's a rare process, at least when I was forged. Every few actually do it. And we seem to bond at least I think so...in more than one way. Our sparks merge and we kinda become connected with each other."

"Well, I guess that's different for us, here we just have a ceremony and a paper that says you are, and many people don't even stay in it or break it off."

"We still do, many bots stay together and break it off before they become conjunx. Every few make the leap to conjunxes. And I heard that you can break off a conjunx bond as well."

"Did you ever have one?"

"No," Wheeljack looked off into the distance, "I was always a loner. I didn't do relationships." When he was younger, he thought that he would one someday. But during the war, it just made it impossible to hold a relationship. 

"What about now?"

Immediately, Wheeljack had a glimpse of Ratchet. He stared down on his feet and mumbled, "maybe someday."

Miko gave him a small nod, "find yourself a lucky gal...or guy."

Wheeljack chuckled, "Maybe guy, remember most of our population identified as guys."

"I know."

"You still didn't answer my question," Wheeljack turned and meet Miko's eyes, "About Chloe?"

"She's more than a friend," Miko admitted, "Not my conjunx though."

"I see."

"Like, we were friends for the longest time, it developed into something more, I really like her. Most people were shocked that I like her. I'm the rebellious one and she followed every rule to the word and she was smart and liked school. And I-I don't know, we balance each other out. She stops me from doing something crazy and I make her loosen up a bit."

"That makes sense."

Miko drew her knees together and wrapped her arms around them, "I really messed it up with her."

"It's not too late," he told her.

"But she's so pissed at me, that I didn't tell her about you guys."

"It was-is a big secret."

"But she told me so many of hers, like her dad," Miko bit her lip, "what he did."

Wheeljack didn't know what to say.

"I wanted to keep you guys to myself, I guess. The memories of you, it was all I had for awhile," She said softly, "I'll tell her as soon as I can."

Wheeljack heard a cough behind him. He turned around and saw Ratchet and Chloe was standing in front of him."

"How about now?" Chloe said with an small smile. 

Miko smiled back, "I would like that."

Chloe walked over to Miko and sat down beside her. Wheeljack slowly climbed to his pedes and walked over to Ratchet. He walked over to Ratchet. He looked and asked, "How did you..."

"Er...Jack gave me a quick run down," he explained, "and I drove around into I saw her."

"Good, they needed the talk," Wheeljack said. 

"Chloe ranted to me about some of it at the same time asking some many questions about us and our advanced technology."

"You mean transforming."

"I told her it was natural to us."

"Should have told her that Primus made us and Unicron make them."

Ratchet snorted and Wheeljack could see the twitch of an smile happening. "That'll clear everything up."

"Hey, Sunshine?" Wheeljack reached over and poked Ratchet's cheek.

To his amusement, Ratchet allowed him to do so before peeling back and frowning at him, "Wheeljack, don't do that."

He chuckled, "But doc."

Ratchet crossed his arms, "Wheeljack..."

"Okay okay, I'll be serious," he looked over at Chloe and Miko. They were close, but not touching. He could see Miko gesturing. "You think, they'll work it out."

"From what I can tell, maybe, Chloe was upset but I don't think she hates Miko for it," Ratchet said. 

"I hope they do, Miko really cares about her."

"Sometimes, the people we care about hurt us or hide things from us," Ratchet mumbled. His face seemed to look somber. 

"Even close ones."

Ratchet raised an eye ridge, "how close?"

Wheeljack thought for an moment for the English word, "they're dating."

"I guess even your partner can."

"Who did you mean?"

"No one," he sighed. He sounded so weary all of the sudden.

Wheeljack placed his hand on Ratchet's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. 

He almost could have sworn he felt Ratchet lean against his hand. He looked up at Wheeljack, smiling a tiny bit.

Wheeljack pretended the little flutter in his spark didn't happen. 

"Oh," Ratchet poked Wheeljack in the side.

"Huh," he frowned at Ratchet.

Ratchet pointed. Wheeljack followed his digit toward Miko and Chloe hugging. "Looks like they did."

"Ha yes!" Wheeljack grinned. 

They watched as Chloe leaned closer to Miko and kissed her. 

Wheeljack whistled. 

Miko turned around, "Jackie!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeljack voice: They're lesbians, harold


	12. Chapter 12-Time will Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ratchet and Wheeljack get ready to return to the scrap yard. Sideswipe tries to get Sunstreaker to help out around the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, i keep wanting to post chapters quicker but ahhhhh i get too busy and lazy.

Wheeljack just finished checking over the ship. Ratchet had pointed that he kept the ship in perfect flyable condition, but Wheeljack just wanted to make sure. And there wasn't really much else to do. Chloe and Miko hadn't arrive to say goodbye. He walked back into the base, wiping coolant off his forehead. Raf had arrived and was working on a computer system.

Ratchet was looking over Raf, "This project is quite remarkable, Rafael."

Raf blushed a little, "It really isn't much."

"I suppose for you, it wouldn't be. You're very capable of doing much more," Ratchet told him, proud almost gleaming in his optics.

Wheeljack leaned against the wall, watching the two. He knew something or two about computer programs, but he didn't want to bother them. He watched from afar, smiling a tiny bit at the two.

The door to the base burst open, Miko waltzed in, holding Chloe's hand.

"Did you really have to do that," Chloe rolled her eyes, grinning at Miko.

Miko waved a hand dismissively, "Of course, I did."

Chloe sighed and gave a small laugh.

"I was worried you were going to miss saying goodbye to us," Ratchet said, looking over at the two girls.

"I would never miss a chance to say goodbye to Mr. Cranky Pants."

Ratchet rolled his optics.

"And I'm scrap liver?" Wheeljack crossed his arms, grinning at Miko.

"Only when you come up with an plan, Wheeljack," Ratchet snorted.

Wheeljack placed an servo on his chest, "I'm wounded, good doc."

Ratchet just shook his helm at him, smiling slightly. Wheeljack would secretly admit that he enjoyed doing that to Ratchet, making him smile. Even just a little.

"Looks like someone needs a doctor," Miko snickered.

Wheeljack was about to say, "Always." but stopped himself.

Miko frowned slightly and walked over to nudge Wheeljack's leg, "Mind stepping outside for an second, Jackie?"

Wheeljack raised an eye ridge, "Sure, but why?"

Miko lightly punched his leg and said, "why don't you find out." She grabbed Chloe's hand and started to head out.

Wheeljack held open the door for them and left. Miko walked along to the other side of the base. Wheeljack furrowed his eye ridge's a bit. He guessed she didn't want the others to hear. So he followed. She stopped. And he took the cue to leaned against the wall of one of the other buildings. "So...."

Chloe shuffled her feet as if she was awkwardly thinking what to say, "So you and Ratchet.."

"What? Me and Ratchet what?"

"You know," Chloe was twirling her fingers together.

"I do?"

Miko put her hands on her hips, "She means how long you and Ratch had this thing goin' on, like couplish thing."

Wheeljack blinked a couple times.

Chloe elbowed Miko, "You didn't have to spit it out like that."

"Well, I wasn't going to beat around the bush any longer."

"You think that Ratchet and me have a thing?"

"You always act kinda joking and teasing toward each other, you normally didn't do that before."

"It was a different situation and we've been talking more than we used to."

"You went here with him and I swear I caught you guys catching glances with each other."

He had a couple times, he didn't think anyone noticed.

"And besides around you, Ratchet, I don't know is less grumpy. Heck, you even made him smile more times than I've seen."

"Well, we're aren't a thing, Miko. Friends yes. We probably became closer friends now that we were before. And I went to see you guys too."

"So you don't have feelings for him, like more than a friend," Miko crossed her arms, arching her eye brows.

Wheeljack sighed and gave a small nod, "Yes, I think I feel something more about the doc."

Miko squealed, grinning up at him and jumping a little on her toes.

"Keep it down," Wheeljack hissed, "Yes, yes, I like him but I don't think that the whole base needs to hear it."

Miko clamped her mouth together, bouncing on her heels.

"You should tell him," Chloe looked up at him.

"I don't know, it isn't really the time to have a relationship, even if Ratchet does like him, which I doubt."

"I think he does."

Wheeljack still had his doubts. Ratchet while grumpy and sarcastic was an amazing mech, why would he want Wheeljack? Who always leaves. A loner. 

"...I'm not ready to tell him," he struggled, as much as he wanted Ratch, "Or get into a relationship."

"If you're sure....," Chloe said, wrapping her arm around Miko's shoulder, "You helped us, we just want to return the favour."

He gave an small chuckle, "You don't have to, I'll find my own way to tell him or not."

"If you're sure," Miko batted her eyebrows.

He nodded once more before tilting his chin toward the base, "Let's go back."

Wheeljack opened the door, letting in Miko and Chloe in earlier. Ratchet had his back to them.

"Had a nice talk?" Ratchet asked.

Wheeljack froze in his tracks, thinking that Ratchet somehow knew or heard them. "Why do you ask?"

Ratchet let out a sigh. "Just making conversation."

"Oh okay."

Ratchet turned his helm, giving Wheeljack a sideway glance before turning away.

"Just talking, Ratchet, about stuff," Miko cocked her hip to the side.

Wheeljack shot her a glare. Miko just smirked and shrugged.

"Here is most of it," Agent Fowler burst in, "A 4 ton truck it took, but here you have it."

"Thank you, Agent Fowler," Ratchet put his servos on his hips and started heading toward the door. "We appreciate this."

"It's no problem," Fowler crossed his arms, "We wouldn't be able to use it anyway."

"We can definitely use it, our supply back at the Scrap yard is pretty low," Ratchet told them.

Wheeljack nodded and walked over to help Ratchet. Ratchet popped open the door, holding it out for Wheeljack, looking at him. Wheeljack automatically grinned. Ratchet snorted and smiled back a tiny bit. Wheeljack could practically hear Miko giggling with Chloe in the background. Wheeljack went through, holding it back for Ratchet to walk through. He rolled his optics.

The truck was in front of the building. Ratchet pulled open the back of the trailer. Stacks of energon, still managing to glow bright blue against the daylight. Wheeljack stared at them, this was a lot. This would last them awhile. He looked over at Ratchet. He looked just as amazed as Wheeljack did. He saw a small smile peek up at the corners of his intake. Wheeljack felt his spark flip.

"Thank you, Agent Fowler," Ratchet murmured.

Agent Fowler walked over and placed his hand on Ratchet's leg. Ratchet glanced down. Fowler assured, "it's no problem, any thing for you guys."

Ratchet grabbed a stack which was taller than his own helm.

"Be careful, Ratch, or you'll be the one running into things," Wheeljack warned.

"Pfft, I'll be fine," Ratchet walked over to the door. He stopped, realizing the door closed on him. He tapped his pede, trying to figure how to open the door without actually seeing. The stack wobbled a bit. Undertone detached himself from Ratchet's arm and opened the ship door for him. Ratchet walked through. Undertone looked over at Wheeljack and rolled his own optics.

Wheeljack snicked. That mini-con had some sass. But he guessed hanging with Ratchet for that long will do that to a bot.

Wheeljack grabbed his own stack, it was only half the size to what Ratchet carried. Undertone raised his eye ridges as Wheeljack passed by.

"What? I'm still in recovering, I got to take it easy," he smiled sweetly at the mini-con.

"Your doctor says you're fine," Ratchet yelled from inside the ship.

Wheeljack chuckled. "Whatever you say doc."

 

It took them a hour or two, leading more toward two hours. Ratchet stretched and twisted around, hearing a slightly groan from one of his back structs. He looked over to where Wheeljack was stretching his own structs. He arched his back and Ratchet caught a good view of Wheeljack's chassis plating.

Ratchet felt the energon flush to his cheeks. He turned around and looked at the ground.  _Jeez, Ratchet, blushing at a chassis like some sort of school bot._ It was just a chassis but it was Wheeljack's chassis and apparently that made a difference. Ratchet was half attempted to run his servos along the gray plating of his chassis. He shook his helm, trying to clear his thoughts. 

"We should get going," he cleared his vocalizer. 

"Awww," Miko pouted, crossing her arms, "So soon."

"We should get back to the scrapyard," Wheeljack placed his hands on his hips. He gave her an wild grin. 

"Miko, it's not like we are not going to see them in an week," Jack said, walking over to Miko, tapping her shoulder.

"I knowwww."

Ratchet smiled a bit at them, shaking his helm slightly. 

"I saw that, Ratch,: Miko smirked.

Ratchet immediately frowned in response. Miko snickered.

"And you're set to come after Raf finished with his project?" Ratchet clarified, trying to ignore the snickers.

"Yes, it should be good to go," Flower told them, handing Ratchet a very small card. Ratchet pinched it between his digits and stored it in his subspace. "Tell, Mr. Clay to give me a call when you get back."

"Will do."

Ratchet started to walk up to his ship. Undertone followed closely after him, "Wheeljack?"

Wheeljack was over by where Chloe and Miko, bending down and patting each of their heads. "Stay out of trouble."

"Come on, it's Miko we are talking about. She'll go through withdrawal." Chloe said teasingly. 

"Hey!"

"Okay, Chloe, keep her out of major trouble. A little trouble is okay."

"Of course, " Chloe nodded, smiling.

Wheeljack looked over at Ratchet, "Coming Sunshine!"

Ratchet automatically rolled his optics.

"oh, don't roll your optics at me," Wheeljack frowned, straightening up and strolling over to Ratchet.

"Byeee!!!" Miko and the others gathered together and waved at them.

Ratchet turned and waved back, "See you soon."

They went inside, Wheeljack brushed past him, causing Ratchet to jump slightly. "I'm driving."

"Like slag you are," Ratchet poked him in the back.

Wheeljack chuckled and walked into the cockpit of the ship. Ratchet huffed and followed. He poked his head in and saw that Wheeljack had already flopped himself into the driver's seat. He gave Ratchet an smug look. 

"It's my ship!" he protested, rather weakly, he might add.

Wheeljack rolled his optics and shrugged, slag eating grin still plastered on his face. 

Ratchet grumbled and reluctantly sat down in the passenger's seat. "Hope you're happy."

"Very much so," Wheeljack leaned over, readjusting himself, looking a bit more serious. He turned on the ship and off they went. 

After an moment, Ratchet let himself relax.

The trip back was going along fine. It was silent mostly. Other than a few jabs and teasing, Wheeljack was an quiet travel partner.

_Ratchet, come here for an sec._

He frowned at his comm, starting to get up.

"Going somewhere?" Wheeljack asked.

"Undertone wanted me to see something," he told him. 

"Well bring me a energon cube when you come back."

Ratchet reached over and flicked one of Wheeljack's ear fins. 

"Ow."

He left, looking around for Undertone. He spotted him over by the communication post. "Undertone, is something the matter?"

Undertone silently pointed at the screen. 

Ratchet followed over to where he was pointing at and froze. He had one message...from The High Council of Cybertron. His optics travelled to the title. It just stated urgent message. 

He couldn't stop staring at the message. Until it felt like something snapped inside his helm. He lurched forward, his servo shaking as he deleted the message without reading it. 

He never read them. It just felt too risky for him. He wasn't sure if they could track him through them or if they knew he had seen them and ignored it. Deleting them seemed like the safer option. Out of sight. Out of Mind. 

_I wonder what they want with us exactly,_ Undertone pinned him. 

_I don't know. It could be a threat to return back._

_Probably, I'm surprised that they haven't gotten us or any of Bee's team._

_Better be glad they haven't._

_Especially at this moment, after all this time._ Undertone said. 

_All we can do is hope they won't send an bounty on us. Not all of them will be like Drift._

Undertone nodded,  _I hope so for your sake. I'll just get reassigned. you on the other hand..._

_I know._ He had no idea what the Council would do if they decided to do something with him. Imprisoned him probably. 

Undertone placed an servo on Ratchet's knee joint. Ratchet smiled and put an servo on his helm. "It'll be okay, we got to hope for that."

_If you say so, Ratchet._ Undertone looked up at Ratchet, his amber optics gleaming. 

Ratchet got up them and wandered over to their energon storage. Undertone cocked his helm to the side.

"Wheeljack wanted one," he shrugged.

Undertone snorted and rolled his optics. 

Ratchet frowned.

_Got it from you._

"I'm glad that was you picked up on,"

_Don't forget to pick up for yourself._

Ratchet grumbled something and obeyed, grabbing an second cube. 

 

Ratchet was glad to see the scrap yard come into view. He did miss Bee and the others, even Sideswipe. 

Once parked, Ratchet went outside, stretching his structs. The long ride causing some of his joints to be stiff. Bumblebee and the others came running over. Bee immediately hugging Ratchet once he got close enough.

Ratchet smiled and returned it.

Bee pulled away and looked at Ratchet, his expression turning grim but hopeful. "How did it go?"

"It went well, really good actually," he nodded, "They are coming to visit next week. They'll, especially Rafael, will be happy to see you."

Bee sighed, looking like a weight had lifted off his shoulders. "That is really some good news."

"They weren't upset, they just miss you and the others. We told them everything."

Bee gave him an small smile. "I can't wait."

"So did anything happen while we were gone," Ratchet let his hands fall to his sides.

"You can say that," Bee placed one hand on his hip. 

"Huh?"

A familiar blue, and red car drove up and transformed. 

"Knock Out? Smokescreen?" Ratchet gaped at them. 

"I thought, I could hear your voice from over there, the crankiness is distinctive," Smokescreen said.

Ratchet snorted.

"Still missed you anyways, doc," Smokescreen smirked.

He rolled his optics and smiled. 

"Smokey!" Wheeljack appeared in the doorway. 

"Well, don't forget about me," Knock Out crossed his arms. 

"With that paint job and personality, I think that is a bit impossible," Ratchet said. 

Knock Out fluttered his optics, "You flirting, doc?"

"Of course not," Ratchet glanced over to Wheeljack, turning away once Wheeljack turned to look back. 

Knock Out chuckled. 

Ratchet glanced between Smokescreen and Knock Out, "Did the council send you here?"

"Not exactly," Smokescreen said grimly. 

A yellow bot that looked eerily similar to Sideswipe and a shark former? walked into view.

"By the all spark, is that Ratchet? Big fan of your work," The shark former exclaimed.

"An explanation would be nice," Ratchet said.

"On it," Bee said.

 

Sideswipe looked around for his twin, "Sunny?" Where the slag are you!?"

"Why are you yelling?" Sunny shouted back.

Sideswipe headed toward the sound, spotting his twin suntanning where Sideswipe usually did. Bob was lying down besides, sleeping while Sunny absently petted him. 

"Where were you! We were going to go on patrol together! Like ten minutes ago!"

Sunstreaker craned his helm to the side, "Oh?"

"Yes, don't you 'oh' me," Sideswipe crossed his arms and cocked his hip, "You knew and you blew me off."

Sunny rolled his optics, "And why do you want me on patrol again?"

"Because you came here! You got to help out! You can't just sit around and do nothing!"

"I'm a refugee, Sideswipe."

"I don't care!" Sideswipe felt his cheeks flush in anger. Sunstreaker came here! Here! He couldn't just come here with his charm and good looks and just do nothing. Sideswipe didn't get away with it. Bee didn't let him do that. Bee probably pulled a screw loose in order for Sideswipe to do his fair share. He worked hard for his spot on the Bee team. So Sunstreaker should too.

Sunny merely raised an eye ridge, "You are getting angry with me because I wouldn't go driving with you?"

Sideswipe clenched his fists and practically streamed. "It wasn't a drive! It was a patrol! To look around for any decepticon activity."

"Well, you found one here!"

"You're Not a decepticon!" Sideswipe almost yelled that.

Sunstreaker sighed and shrugged.

Sideswipe gritted his denta, "You can't just expect us to protect you, expect to provide for you, and then do nothing back for it."

Sunny opened his mouth to reply. 

"What is going on?" Bee appeared, placing an servo on Sideswipe's shoulder. 

"Sunstreaker and I were supposed to go on patrol but someone here decided to be lazy," Sideswipe shot a glare over at Sunstreaker who had already closed his optics. 

Bee looked between the twins, "....It's ok, Sideswipe."

"What" Sideswipe gawked.

"It's okay."

Sideswipe grumbled and stormed off. He couldn't believe that Sunstreaker was getting his way again!

He felt another hand on his shoulder and turned to see Bee had followed him.

"Sideswipe, is something bothering you?"

"No, why you ask?"

"You look ready to rip off helms," Bee looked worry, "That patrol would have your third patrol of the day and it's not even night."

"Like you said, you always got to be prepared."

"You started doing this since Sunstreaker got here. Are you sure, you aren't worried or self conscious now that your twin is here? That you aren't at all worried that some how we are going to like your twin better than you and you have to prove that you are better for the team. Just like when you split into two components."

Sideswipe glared at him, "This has nothing to do with that!"

"I just want you to know that no matter what, you're part of the team, you're our friend and there's plenty of room for you."

Sideswipe crossed his arms and frowned, "Whatever." He knew that he was the less favorable twin, it would be a matter of time. 

"I'm serious. Sideswipe, forget about the patrol. Get some rest." Bee squeezed his shoulder once before walking away. 

Sideswipe wrapped his arms around himself, walking back to his room, trying to ignore the pit of loneliness building inside him. Why couldn't Sunstreaker just go on patrol and why he did have to act like such a child about it. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter of fluff, angst and whatever I've been doing for the last 12 chapter, then it would probably get more plot/action stuff.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The humans of Team Prime comes to the Scrapyard. Wheeljack and Ratchet come to an realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I meant to get this done sooner like months ago. School, work and writing motivation kicked my ass repeatedly. Er, now that Rid2015 is officially over, I will continue this still despite that and now that it's over and the ending was meh, I'll write it either as an au or try to continue it off somewhat. Also at the end, I tried my hand at robot smut but I'll leave a giant gape so you'll know in case you want to skip or if it's really bad you can skip. Also sorry, if there's spelling and grammar mistakes, the last half was a bit rushed in order to force myself to finish this chapter.

Ratchet watched from the corner of his datapad as Bumblebee paced in front of him. He raised an optical ridge at the former scout. “They’ll be here in an hour, why wait until the last 10 minutes to pace before they get here.”

Bee turned around and shot an glare at him, “I’m just nervous, Ratchet.”

“I know,” Ratchet said softly, “But it’ll be fine.”

“That’s what you say, but you’re not the one who seemingly forgot about them.”

“But you didn’t?”

“But I didn’t exactly go see them either.”

Ratchet stood up and placed his servos on Bee’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “It’ll be fine. You have a lot on your shoulders, they understood. It’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Ratchet.”

Ratchet gave him a small smiled and nodded, squeezing the shoulder once before letting go and walking off. It was quiet. Almost too quiet. Smokescreen was out driving. Knock Out was out on his ship, doing who knows what but Ratchet had a suspicion it had something to do with buffing. Strongarm was reading her codebook for the thousandth time. Drift was training the mini-cons. Grimlock was attempting to join them much to Drift’s dismay. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Windblade were out on patrol.

Wheeljack….

He had burrowed himself in his ship, working on ship repairs. He always stopped off and on repairs, going for a couple of days without working on it. But the last few days, he barely could saw the ex-wrecker. Ratchet had secretly begun to hope that Wheeljack was going to stay after all. He thought Wheeljack was being more and more included into the Bee team and it was an shame if he left. He sighed, knowing the reasons wasn’t just because Wheeljack got along with the team.

Ratchet glanced over in the direction of Wheeljack’s ship. He was half attempted to check on him.

“Ratch, if I can call you that. Slag, I should have started with your full name. Let me start again.”

Ratchet frowned slightly and turned around to see Aquablast. He hadn’t spoken much to the sharkformer and he raised an eye ridge. “Aquablast, what is it?”

Her amber optics widened as if she wasn’t sure if she would have gotten this far and she started to smile nervously, purple denta sticking out a bit.

Ratchet waited patiently for her to response.

She blinked and shook her helm, “Sorry, I was wondering, before I went on the run, I was a medical student.”

He nodded, “a good profession I must say but I might be a tad biased.”

She bobbed her helm, “It was always an dream of mine. Hard to get into considering to what I am.” She gestured to her frame.

Ratchet placed his servo on his hip, “I knew an doctor named Cogwheel and she was an Arachnicon and she was one of the best doctors I have ever known. If you want to be a doctor, you can be. Despite what the council says.”

“Yea, the Council didn’t want me training under a medic, Knock Out was only one who fought for me to at least study medicine.”

Ratchet gave her an sympathetic look.

“That’s why, I wanted to ask, will you train me. Put me under your wing er I guess you don’t have one of those.”

Ratchet blinked for an few moments. “Me?”

“Yeszz you,” She lisped a bit after an moment. She frowned and shook her helm, “Yes.” She corrected herself.

“You do realize I am not recognized as a medic under the Council’s optics,” Ratchet said, his tone sounded sad. He knew that deep down he was always a doctor, a medic, nothing would change that.

“I know. But you’re _Ratchet,_ the Ratchet. One of the best doctors that was ever on Cybertron if not the best.”

“There are plenty others better than me,” He said, not expecting the praise.

She seemed doubtful of that. “Still, it would be honour to train with you and Knock Out. It’s not like the Council will ever seen me as a medic or doctor. Might as well train with some of the best. Soooo pleazzze…please,” She cupped her servos together.

Ratchet paused for an moment. He hadn’t put anyone under his wing, except maybe Raf since during the War on Earth. As far as he knew First Aid was still an medic. And he liked training new medics, seeing the hope and need to help the injured. And he could see that in Aquablast’s optic. He nodded and gave a small smile, “No, it would be an honour to train you.”

Aquablast stared at him in amazement before lurching toward him and wrapping her arms around him. He tensed immediately, just not sure what to do. The small fins that lined her arms brushing against him and it kind of tickled. After an moment, he patted her back.

Aquablast let go shortly go, rubbing the back of her helm and giving him a sheeplish look. She shuffled her pedes, “Sorry, about that. I was excited.”

Ratchet waved an servo and gave an small snort, “It’s fine.”

“When do you start.” She practically bounced on her pedes.

Ratchet smiled a tiny bit at her eagerness. “Give me a day or two to figure out exactly how I’m going to teach. The last time I took on a student was let’s just say we had a lot more patients then.”

Aquablast chuckled. “I don’t know, this team seems a bit accident prone.”

Ratchet snorted, amused, “Well I suppose so.”

“I shall wait until you’re ready. Thank you, Ratchet.”

“It would be an honour to help train you,” Ratchet told her, sincerely. He meant it, that someone wanted him to put his medical skills into use other than to patch Sideswipe after accidently landing wrong during a practice. He missed being an medic or being seen as one, one of the many many things he hated about being forced to become an bounty hunter.

Her smile widened, purple denta shining through. She tilted her head, “I’ll see you later, now if you will excuse me, I was going to go for an swim.” She waved and walked off.

“Be careful, don’t get caught.”

“Never,” she said with an small laugh.

Ratchet smiled softly to himself. He went over to where the energon storage was, still relieved that Fowler gave them all this energon. He picked up an energon cube for himself. He sipped at it, glancing around the Scrapyard, he could see Denny and Bee chattering over by the distance.  He stared over toward Wheeljack’s ship. He wasn’t sure if he should go over to check on him. Ratchet took another sip. He supposed that he wasn’t quite sure when exactly Wheeljack ventured outside his ship and refuelled. Running on that, He finished his cube and set it side. He took one more for Wheeljack. He walked over to the ship like he was on mission and banged on the door.

He waited a few seconds, tapping his pede on the floor impatiently before knocking even louder.

“What!?”

Ratchet pursed his lips, ignoring a fleeting moment that maybe Wheeljack rather not see him. He scoffed, “I thought I said you should refuel regularly.”

“Who said I hadn’t refueled recently?”

“When did you last refuel?”

Wheeljack didn’t say anything. Ratchet took that as Wheeljack wasn’t quite sure of that himself and he smiled a bit smugly. He could hear the taint shuffling within the ship and finally the door opened to reveal Wheeljack. Dirt and smudges covered his cheeks and forehead and his fins? The whites of his plates were smudged as well. He wiped his forehead as a weak attempt to clean himself or wipe coolant off his forehead.

“Having fun in there?” Ratchet placed an servo on his hip.

Wheeljack rolled his optics and reached for the cube.

Ratchet nodded and gave it to him, taking his a few steps back.

Wheeljack tilted his head to the side, “You want to come inside for a bit, Sunshine?

Ratchet paused for an moment before nodding, “Sure, someone has to make sure you refuel.”

Wheeljack grinned crookedly and stepped aside to let Ratchet in. Ratchet stepped inside, looking around the space. Tools littered the desk across from them. Scrap metal was stacked all around the floor.

“Sorry, the place is a mess, I wasn’t expecting company.”

Ratchet snorted and rolled his optics, amusement playing on his faceplates. Wheeljack walked over to an simple metal table and an couple chairs and sat down on it. He raised his eye ridges at Ratchet. “Want to sit down for bit, Sunshine?”

Ratchet sighed and sat down across from Wheeljack, “Drink.”

Wheeljack drank some of the cube and placed it on the table.

Ratchet put his servos in his lap.

“Really endearing that you wanted to check up on little old me?” Wheeljack smirked into the cube of his energon.

Ratchet circled his glossa in his cheek before finally answering, “I’m an medic at spark, I got to make sure that everyone is taking care of themselves.”

“Sometimes even before yourself, I get it.” Wheeljack leaned back his chair for an second before leaning forward.

Ratchet frowned, “Is that supposed to mean something.”

“Nah nothing, just make sure you take care of yourself too, doc,” Wheeljack said.

Ratchet snorted, “I am.”

“Good.”

Ratchet frowned, crossing his legs. He stared at the dirt and soot that covered Wheeljack’s and was half attempted to reach over and wipe it off. He lifted his servo like he was going to do but stopped before it can be seen by Wheeljack.

“See something you like, doc?”

Ratchet blinked and shook his helm to snap out of it. “You got dirt on your face.” He said, matter-of-factly before wanting to promptly to face palm about how stupid he sounded.

Wheeljack raised his eyebrows, amused, “Really do I?” He wiped one cheek and tilted his helm at Ratchet, “Like this? Did I get it?”

“I believe that if you dunk your face in a bucket of water, you would still have dirt on your face,” Ratchet said.

“Tempting, sunshine.”

“So,” Ratchet wanted to change the subject and he looked around the interior of the ship, “Are you getting close to repairing your ship.”

Wheeljack took an sip of his cube. It sounded like he was swirling his energon along inside his cheek. “I’m getting there. It should be ready soon.”

“Ah alright,” Ratchet said, and paused. He wanted to ask if Wheeljack was going to leave the moment his ship was repaired enough to go. Or if he was going to stay. He opened his mouth. “Wheeljack?”

“Yeah?”

The words got stuck on his glossa. He was about to try about when his comm pinged him. He looked down on it. “Bee says that Miko and the others are arrived.”

Wheeljack took his cube and drained the rest of it. He walked over and his little wash rack to wipe off the rest of the dirt off his face and arms.

Ratchet stood up, crossing his arms and tapping his ped impatiently. “Ready?”

“You’re the only who said I was dirty.”

“You are dirty.”

“Was.”

Ratchet rolled his optics, “Let’s just go.”

“Lead the way, Sunshine.”

 

Ratchet headed toward the entrance, Wheeljack in tow. He halted to an stop. The first thing he saw was Raf and Bumblebee. Raf stepped closer to Bee, “Bee?”

“Raf…I’m sorry that I didn’t come see you before hand,” Bee’s vocalizer cracked a bit at the end.

Raf stepped forward and touched Bee’s leg, looking at up at him with an small smile. “It’s okay, Bee. We’re here now.”

Bumblebee after an moment, smiled, “Nice to see you too.”

“Nice to see you too.”

“Well, it’s nice to see you, Bee, and to meet your new team,” Jack spoke up, stepping forward with the rest of them.

Bee beamed, already introducing the team members that were presented. Fixit….Raf immediately started talking technology. Strongarm, Chloe immediately liked her and both Windblade and Miko just smiled and rolled her eyes and optics. And Grimlock, both even Jack and Miko both thought that it was ‘cool’ that he turned into an dinosaur. Bee chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his helm as Miko asked if she could go on him into dinosaur mode, telling her that Grimlock wasn’t ride. Grimlock just laughed and said sometime. And circled again as she found out that Aquablast turned into an shark.

Knock Out was pretty polite around them, it was only a couple times after the war ended that he saw Miko and the others saw each other after Miko knocked out Knock Out in an exo-suit. And Smokescreen was already telling Jack they should catch up by a drive around the block. And Sunstreaker was already charming everyone else, though Miko just rolled her eyes at him, already poking fun at him.

Ratchet smiled, watching as they talk. Neither him or Wheeljack went to move from their spots.

“Ratch! Wheeljack! I see you two over there. Are you hiding from us?”

“Of course not!” Wheeljack boomed, straightening his spinal struct, nudging Ratchet along the way.

Ratchet snorted and followed after Wheeljack.

 

Sideswipe didn’t show up to meet Bee’s old team mates, it wasn’t like he didn’t want to. He wanted to meet them. He really did. He heard Miko was pretty rad, a fellow rule breaker. He thought he would get along with her. But…he guessed, just a pit of anxiety built up in his chassis.

He knew deep down that what Bee told him that it was true, he just didn’t believe it. He couldn’t help but think that anyone liked him or liked him better or just as well as Sunstreaker. His twin seemed to be getting along with everyone. He even saw Strongarm and Windblade laughing at something he said.

Sideswipe decided that he wasn’t ready to go back there. He found a little spot, he had come here a few times and thought it would at least take awhile for them to find him. And he needed the space away from the base. Being around his twin. He forgot how overbearing it can be. He was just so used to being by himself and then he was used to being by himself with the team. Then his twin is here and making himself at home, Sideswipe’s home and Sideswipe didn’t know how to think about that.

He glanced at his comm, feeling a pit of loneliness. He expected someone by now to notice he was gone. Strongarm? Grim? Windblade? Bee? But he laughed to himself, of course he hadn’t notice him. He was gone. And they were with their other friends. Why would he be missed?

He leaned against a tree, glancing out at the scenery and wrapping his servos around his knees.

“Sideswipe! Why are you leaning against a tree by yourself!” A familiar jet flew down and transformed before her pedes touch the ground. Windblade put her hands on her hips and quirked her eyebrow at him.

“What’s it to you, Windy,” he grumbled, pouting slightly to himself.

“Is something bothering you? You can talk to us always,” Windblade said, she glanced down at her comm and answered, “Yes, he’s here. I’ll send you the coordinates.” She turned her gaze to Sideswipe, “I know something is bothering you.”

Sideswipe refused to look anywhere but the ground, “It’s silly. Just like I am.”

Windblade crouched down, taking Sideswipe’s chin in her servo. “It’s not silly. You can be silly, but you’re not silly.”

“Windblade is right,” Strongarm said as she came into view, walking over and crouching down beside Windblade down beside him.

Sideswipe sighed heavily, “It’s my brother.”

“Sunstreaker? What about him? He seems nice, a bit self centered and egotistic,” Strongarm said, her brows furrowing in some confusion. “But he seems like a decent guy.”

He tapped the metal of his knee. “Eventually, you prefer him over me.”

Both Windblade and Strongarm’s optics widened.

Strongarm was the first to speak, “We won’t. Sideswipe, you gotta believe that we don’t stop liking you because your twin is here.”

“You don’t understand. It’s true. Everyone eventually will pick him. They always do. And then I always get left behind,” his vocaliser cracked a bit and he wiped a tear from his optic. “The council favoured him. Our old friends did. I was able to leave and no one even my brother bothered to come after him.”

“Hey, hey,” Strongarm started and reached for his servo. Her voice went soft, almost soothing. More soothing than normal. “They made a mistake then. Because while you never fail to annoy the living scrap out of me. A rule breaker. Doesn’t listen. Doesn’t expect my authority.”

“What authority,” Sideswipe couldn’t help but snip.

Strongarm rolled her optics, “Anyway, I still care for you. And I’m not going to forget you, not that I can even if I tried. We all do. You are part of the Bee Team and I wouldn’t want to be a part of it if you’re a part of it.”

“You really meant that,” Sideswipe tried to ignore the little voice that was telling him that she was lying. He knew Strongarm well. He knew that what she was saying, she meant that. And he didn’t want to let any of them grew. He wasn’t quite sure if it would stay like this, but maybe he shouldn’t make sure.

“We really do,” Windblade assured, placing her servo on his.

Sideswipe smiled at each of them. “Thanks.”

Strongarm needed it, easing herself beside him. Windblade followed suit, her wing bumping right into Sideswipe. Sideswipe couldn’t help but snorted, “watch it.”

“Shush, slick.”

Strongarm’s brow crinkled, “Is that why you left in the first place. Because you felt alone and that no cared for you?”

Sideswipe gave an small laugh and rubbed the back of his helm, “Yeah, I think so. I wasn’t well liked by the council. Give them a lot of trouble and well, they did often put me to the side. And everyone just thought I wasn’t worth much. And Sunstreaker, they put all their effort into him and putting up on a stage and he…I think he believed it. That because he followed every rule, and everyone believed in him and not me. He often got annoyed at me for breaking the rules and getting. And eventually, I got tired of being second best and left his shadow. I just left. Maybe I was hoping he would notice or care. But he didn’t. I was left on my own, I had groups of bots I hung out with them but I didn’t stay long. Until you guys.”

Strongarm vented deeply and rested her head on his shoulder. “And you’re stuck with us.”

Sideswipe immediately leaned against her. “I know, you all made it completely obvious.”

Strongarm snorted, “And we’ll continue telling you until you believe it.”

“I have no problem believing that you would.”

“Me too. And Bee. And Grim. And Fixit. And Denny. And Russell. And Slipstream and Jetstorm. And Drift. And even Ratchet. I’m sure he would.”

Sideswipe smiled again.

“And even Sunstreaker doesn’t appreciate you, we will.”

“Thank you.”

Strongarm paused for an moment and glanced over at Windblade before leaning up and kissing his cheek. Sideswipe sucked in his breath and looked, his breath flushed with energon.

“My turn,” Windblade leaned over as well and kissed his cheek as.

Sideswipe blushed again.

“I-I really like you, Sideswipe,” Strongarm said after an moment, looking suddenly unsure about herself. She drummed her digit along her thigh.

Sideswipe opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He felt his spark skip a couple times.

“I feel same. I feel the same for both of you.” Windblade spoke up.

Sideswipe could have sworn that he just barely heard that over his own spark beating. He gave them an quirky grin. He leaned forward and kissed Strongarm on the cheek. And then Windblade’s cheek. “I like you both.”

Strongarm smiled, leaning over and kissing both of them.

Sideswipe bit his bottom lip, grinning poking out from it.

“Should we head?”

“In a moment,” Sideswipe said, grabbing each of their hands.

 

Ratchet after an while went back to a little corner to hide himself in. He crossed his arms and was perfectly happy just to watch everyone. He smiled, watching Wheeljack and Grimlock and Miko get along. Jack and Agent Fowler were discussing fun moments with Denny and Rusty. Eventually, Sideswipe, Windblade, and Strongarm walked in and introduced Sideswipe to the others.

From the corner of his optic, Ratchet spotted Smokescreen and Denny sneak off somewhere and suddenly earth music started playing. And Smokescreen appeared again with a slag eating grin on his face.

“Smokescreen? What did you do?”

“Relax Bee, thought some music would be nice.” Smokescreen moved his hips like he was starting to dance but he wasn’t sure.

Agent Fowler reached for June’s hand and spun her around, “May I have this dance?”

She laughed and smiled brightly, placing her hand on his chest. “Of course.”

The next thing, everyone slowly started dancing along to the music except for Ratchet and Bee, Drift dismissed himself earlier. Ratchet assumed his social interaction for the day must have ran out. Maybe back in his youth but that was a long time ago. Windblade, Sideswipe and Strongarm were dancing together with Windblade and Sideswipe taking turns to spin around Strongarm. Miko was dancing with Chloe. Denny was dancing and trying to convince Fixit to dance as well.

Bee was off to the side, crossing his arms and watching his team have, an faint smile on his lips. Ratchet thought about going over there and telling the younger mech that he was too young to be standing there by himself.

But before he could, Grimlock awkwardly walked over to Bee, his servos tucked behind his back. “Bee?”

“Grim yes?” Bee looked up and blinked.

Grimlock vented deeply before holding his hand out to the former scout. “Want to dance, Bee?”

“Uh, I don’t really dance,” Bee scratched the back of his helm. 

“Bumblebee, just do it. From what it looks like, you won’t the only one,” Ratchet told him.

Bee sighed and looked up at Grim before nodding and taking his servo. Grimlock immediately grinned cheekily and pulled out with the others. He spun Bee and Bee blinked, stunned for an moment. Finally after an moment, Bee was smiling and dancing around along. Ratchet crossed his arms, grinning to himself.

“Sunshine, ya really gonna stand there the whole night by yourself,” Wheeljack appeared beside him. Ratchet cursed himself internally for letting the wrecker sneak up on him.

“What’s your point?”

“Is it because no one here to dance with? Smokescreen too young? Knock Out not good enough? What about Drift, he’s seems just your type.” Wheeljack snickered. Ratchet gave him an look. Wheeljack chuckled, “If not, you can always settle for me.”

Ratchet raised an optic ridge, “you want to dance?”

“Well, doc, it’s better than standing there. So what do you say, Ratch?” Wheeljack said, he almost looked uncertain for a moment.

Ratchet thought about it before nodding and grabbed Wheeljack’s arm to pull him onto the area. Wheeljack’s optics widened, slowly easing back into an grin and He grabbed Ratchet’s free servo and they moved along to the music. They both weren’t as you would say, the best dancers. There were many times where Ratchet thought he would be dropped or fall, taking Wheeljack with him. Wheeljack sometimes stepped on his pedes. Ratchet was enjoying himself nevertheless as Wheeljack spun him around and pulled along and swung him out again. Amazingly enough, he couldn’t help smiling.

He wasn’t sure how long they danced for until the music stopped, and Denny was announcing that it was getting late much to Russell’s dismay. Ratchet scratched the back of his helm. “Thank you for that, Wheeljack.”

As he was saying goodnight to the humans, Wheeljack disappeared off once again. Which was strange that he left without saying anything to Miko or Chloe. Ratchet frowned and tried to think nothing of it which to say nearly impossible for him. Ratchet headed toward his ship, he still recharged in there other than the Alchemor with the Bee team. He paused, glancing at where Wheeljack’s ship was. He could see Wheeljack had climbed on top of the ship. He found himself walking toward the ship, “Wheeljack, what are you doing there?”

“Star glazing,” he answered, leaning back on his elbows, stretching his legs. “Care to join me?”

“You want me to climb your death trap of the ship?” Ratchet spluttered, crossing his arms and cocking his hip to the side.

“If you want to.”

Ratchet’s lip thinned and curled. “How?”

“I built a ladder onto it a couple months ago,” Wheeljack answered, keeping his optics upward. “On the side.”

Ratchet walked over to the side, seeing the ladder, which was built in blocks to step up on. He grumbled about if he fell and broke an struct, he was gonna whack Wheeljack up side the head. He slowly managed to climb up and scooted beside Wheeljack, looking up at the stars in silence for an couple minutes. He decided it was actually pretty enough to stare at. He couldn’t remember a time where he did look at the night sky and admired it. He glanced over at Wheeljack and noticed Wheeljack was looking back at him.

Ratchet raised an optical ridge at him and Wheeljack shrugged, “It’s nothing, doc, I just noticed you weren’t scowling.”

“I don’t scowl that much.”

Wheeljack gave a disbelieving look, but laughed and turned his attention about to the sky.

“I noticed that you didn’t talk to Miko after the dance stopped.”

“I’ll talk to her later. I needed some alone time.”

“But I’m here.”

“I suppose you are.” He didn’t say anything else.

Ratchet wondered if he should ask and decided now would be a good time as any. “How close are you done with repairing your ship?”

“Almost done.”

“How done?”

“I don’t know. Soon.”

Ratchet sighed, “I’m just wondering because….well are you going to leave once your ship is repair.”

It was deathly silence between them, deathly because it was killing him to hear Wheeljack’s answer.

“Do you want me to leave?” Wheeljack asked instead.

“Well no, I….” Ratchet stumbled, clearing his intake and forcing his next words out. “I don’t want you to leave. I do having you here.”

Wheeljack seemed to take a moment to let the answer sink in and stared at the stars, seemingly longer than it probably was. “I actually finished repairing my ship weeks ago.”

“Okay…WAIT WHAT.”

“I finished it, believe it or not, it doesn’t take me that long to finish it. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave.”

“Are you now?”

Wheeljack tilted his helm to the side. “I kind of liked it here. It isn’t exactly Team Prime, not that I always felt right at home there.”

Ratchet remembered the times where Wheeljack did leave or said he was going to leave and nodded.

“But I guess, I don’t want to leave again. I like it here well enough but a part of me doesn’t want to leave you guys to deal with whatever the council has in store for us. It’s calm now, but who knows what will happen later.”

“Yeah,” Ratchet trailed off.

“There was another reason,” Wheeljack said.

“And what is that?” Ratchet turned his helm to the side and found himself staring in bright blue optics.

Wheeljack’s lips twitch into an smile. “I’ll let you guess.”

Ratchet was relatively aware how close Wheeljack was to him and immediately leaned toward him without realizing it.

“Ratchet…” Wheeljack murmured, he didn’t move away from him.

Ratchet took a chance and closed the gape, pressing an light kiss to Wheeljack’s lips. He pulled away after an second, realizing it might too forward. But he was still close enough to feel Wheeljack’s deep vents on his lip plates.   

Wheeljack blinked a few times.

A little doubt crept in his systems and he mumbled out, “Wheel-”

Before he could finish, Wheeljack kissed him. It was deeper and harder than his, but Ratchet sank into the kiss easily. Wheeljack cupped the back of Ratchet’s helm as Ratchet kissed him back. Ratchet placed a servo on Wheeljack’s arm. His spark was racing.

“To make this clear,” Wheeljack said, “The other reason was you.”

Ratchet rolled his optics and pulled Wheeljack into another kiss.

 

-giant gap-

 

Ratchet had only stopped kissing Wheeljack to get down from the ship. He clutched at Wheeljack’s servo immediately and kissed Wheeljack again. “You ship or mine?”

“Going a little fast, Sunshine,” Wheeljack said with a chuckle.

Ratchet frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

“Relax, I’m not complaining.”

“Your ship then, mine is across from the scrapyard.”

“It’s not exactly clean.”

“Is it going to explode?”

“No.”

“Then, I’m not complaining.”

Wheeljack laughed again and pulled Ratchet into his ship. As soon as Wheeljack closed the door, he put his servos onto Ratchet’s hips and pressed him against the wall. Ratchet kissed him, running his servos down Wheeljack’s frame, down his arms and sides. Wheeljack’s lips trailed down Ratchet’s cheek down to his chin to his neck. Ratchet tilted his helm to the side. He pressed close, feeling warm radiate from both of their frames. His fans clicked on and his engine revived. “Y-your berth.”

Wheeljack nodded and led Ratchet to little berth. From one glance, Ratchet decided it should be able to hold them both. Ratchet pressed close to Wheeljack again, curling one servo into Wheeljack’s hip and moaning into another kiss. They kissed and explored each other’s frames for another few seconds before Wheeljack grinded his interface panel against Ratchet’s.

Ratchet gasped, heat blooming in his panel.

‘That feel good, Ratch,” Wheeljack murmured.

Ratchet nodded and groaned at the continued friction. A part of him was wholeheartedly excited about this. Doing this with Wheeljack. A little part worried, it’s been awhile since he was with someone. Not that he thought. He would mess up.

Wheeljack took a hold of Ratchet’s servo and led it toward his own inner thigh, separating his legs slightly and using their servos to rub his own inner thigh. Wheeljack bit his lip and his frame shook a little bit as he nudged Ratchet’s servo further so it was directly pressed against the spot where Wheeljack’s valve should be underneath the cover.

Ratchet took a deep vent and paused. He didn’t know what he expected from the wrecker. But he thought Wheeljack would have wanted to spike him. Not that Ratchet didn’t mind doing the spiking. He pegged Wheeljack as more using his spike.

“Is there a problem?” Wheeljack noted the pause, his vocaliser seeming rough. “We can stop.”

“No, no,” Ratchet sounded sheepish, “I just expected you wanted to spike me.”

“I mean, we can do that too or. I don’t know, I’m just in a mood to use my valve,” Wheeljack scratched the back of his helm. “But”

Ratchet raised an optical ridge and ran a single digit along Wheeljack’s panel in response. Wheeljack made a surprise sound in the back of his intake and closed his optics. Ratchet leaned close to whisper in his audial, “Keep them open.” He slung an arm around Wheeljack’s waist and pushed him gently onto the berth, keeping his servo on the panel, cupping it gently. Wheeljack rested against the berth. “Damn, Sunshine.”

“And here I thought I was getting rusty, it’s been awhile.”

“Good news, we’re in the same boat.”

“Open already,” Ratchet smirked as he climbed onto top of Wheeljack, resting his knees on either side of Wheeljack’s hips. He continued putting more pressure on panel. Wheeljack moaned and Ratchet’s engine revived from the sound. Finally, Wheeljack let his panel cover open and Ratchet’s servo felt the valve lips and fluids already leaking out of it. “Hmm, already so wet.”

“Only at the sight of you,” Wheeljack murmured, his servo gripping onto Ratchet’s hip and leaning up to kiss Ratchet deeply again. “Now open will you.”

Ratchet already felt his spike harden from within the cover and it was attempting to lease it from his panel. He pressed close to Wheeljack, his digits dipping into wet mesh of the valve. Wheeljack whined, “Ratchet, you tease.”

It only caused Ratchet to grin happily. Until he let his spike emerge from his cover. He pressed it against Wheeljack’s valve before pushing it in. His vocaliser groan as the valve formed around him and rippled against. He thrusted in a slow pace and Wheeljack squirmed underneath. “Faster, faster, doc.”

Ratchet nodded and obeyed, thrusting in deep. He cupped the back of Wheeljack’s helm and kissed him with each thrust. His fans were spinning rapidly. Wheeljack tilted and matched each thrust with one of his own, leaving some paint transfers between the two.

“As good as I expected you would be,” Wheeljack assured, his optics almost had a dazed look the longer they went at it. Coolant formed at each of their foreheads. Ratchet pressed his against Wheeljack’s forehead, tilting it so his chevron avoided the helm piece.

“Same here,” Ratchet said, sounding breathless. His spike was throbbing as he veered closer and closer to overloading.

“Wheeljack arched his back, pressing his hand against Ratchet’s chest plates. “Ah, Ratchet, slag.”

“Very vocal, are we?”

“You like it,” Wheeljack closed his optics and groaned as Ratchet felt Wheeljack’s valve rippled around his spike. “Slag, I’m already close.”

Ratchet gave a few more rough and deep thrusts without Wheeljack let out a large moan, dipping his helm back. Ratchet felt Wheeljack’s overload release, fluid splashing around. He kissed Wheeljack’s throat and only after another thrust or two felt his overload released into the hot valve.

He let the tension in his frame lessen and he pressed against Wheeljack, kissing him.

“That was really something, you know that, a good amazing something but something,” Wheeljack said, venting deeply. He leaned up to kiss Ratchet’s cheek.

Ratchet nodded, trying to steady venting. It had  been awhile, and Ratchet wasn’t a young mech anymore but he felt amazing nevertheless. That frag was simply wonderful and something he needed. He pulled out of Wheeljack, closing his panel. He laid down beside Wheeljack and huddled close to him. They laid there, chatting and kissing and enjoying the closeness of their frames until they fell into recharge together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I do still plan to actually start more plot next chapter and hopefully it doesn't take me months and months to write.


	14. Chapter 14-Relevations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bee finally decides to get information about Optimus' plans through Ratchet, only to discovered revelation after revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, it was 2017 since I last updated this fic. Sorry, school kicked my ass, then exams did, then work did, then I was on vacation then work kicked my ass, but I finally got this chapter done. Finally, something happens, am I right? Well, you'll right out I guess. Also sorry for any grammar or spelling errors, I looked over the beginning like once since I wrote it like a month ago before the another half and that was it. I just wanted it done.

_This dream,_ it seemed familiar, and it was. He had this dream before. Every night for last few months to be more specific. And it always seemed foggy in his helm and Bumblebee always woke up, feeling confused and startled, more so every time he had the dream.

He couldn’t remember much details.

He remembered being on Cybertron again with the team, he was sure he remembered seeing Bulkhead, Jazz, Windblade, Optimus and Ratchet before going there. And he recalled being chased by cybertronian authorities. And facing a decepticon combiner in the High Council Chamber. And winning, the last thing he could pick out from his dream was standing in front of a crowd of cheering autobots.

He often sat in his berth, just trying to pick out details in his dreams, but it was like pushing against a wall. His mind seemed to refuse. Like it was actively fighting against remembering. And he felt like he couldn’t just brush this off as another dream. Or that it was just a dream. It felt like something more. Like he was forgetting a key part and the dreams were a way to figure it out. He rested his servo on his forehead. Today wasn’t much good luck on remembering but it still ate away from him.

He grumbled to himself and swung his pedes over the berth. His features twisted again, trying once again to recall anything. A name. A reason.

Nothing.

He looked down at the palms of his servos, _why can’t I remember? Why do I feel like I need to?_ Maybe he should try again to ask Optimus. If anyone knew or had any advice, it was Optimus. But lately Optimus hadn’t try to contact him, and every Bumblebee tried to, Optimus made it as brief as possible. Perhaps he could ask Ratchet later if he could call Optimus, he long suspected Ratchet knew more than he led on and knew that Optimus would undoubtfully trust the medic with everything.

But first energon. And a morning drive with Raf.

 

 

Wheeljack stirred, not quite opening his optics. He was conscious and becoming more and more aware of someone recharging peacefully beside him. He onlined one optic. Ratchet was recharging still, curled up on his side and pressed right against Wheeljack. Wheeljack thought it could be just to make more room on the berth but Ratchet rested his arm along Wheeljack’s chassis, almost protectively and Ratchet was using Wheeljack’s shoulder as a pillow. Their legs tangled together.

_Ratchet, I never pegged you for a cuddlier._

The normally grumpy medic looked almost at peace as he rested. And Wheeljack almost wished that he could take a mental photo in his processor, also because Ratchet looked adorable right now especially as Ratchet sleepily nuzzled his face into Wheeljack’s shoulder.

Still, Wheeljack grinned. He was playing back the memories of last night in his head, and he was both happy and shocked that it happened. He couldn’t complain. He was glad it did since there was no denying it, he wanted Ratchet more than one-night stand. He hoped Ratchet felt the same.

He couldn’t help but reach over and brush his digits along Ratchet’s chevron. He held his breath as Ratchet shifted under the touch. Ratchet shifted again, his head still on Wheeljack’s shoulder. A moment later, he onlined his optics and looked up at Wheeljack. “Morning.”

“Sleep well, doc?” Wheeljack asked, relaxing a bit when Ratchet didn’t move from his side.

Ratchet looked thoughtful for a second before murmuring. “Yes, surprisingly you made a comfortable pillow.”

Wheeljack smiled warmly. “And you made a good body heater.”

Ratchet let out a small laugh. He curled his digits into Wheeljack’s chest and Wheeljack adjusted his arm, so it was wrapped around Ratchet comfortably, resting his servo on Ratchet’s back.

“So…last night.” Wheeljack cleared his throat.         

Ratchet raised his eye ridge, “what about it?”

“I don’t want it to the only time, I did mean it last night when I said I liked you” Wheeljack admitted.

Ratchet surprised himself by circling his digits along Wheeljack’s chest. “You mean trying to make us work, to give it a try.”

Wheeljack nodded.

Ratchet paused, thinking it over and Wheeljack bit his lip in anticipation. Ratchet whispered. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a relationship and I just know…I don’t want to be alone. So long story…yes I want that too.”

Wheeljack smiled and leaned toward, kissing Ratchet softly on the lips. He felt Ratchet smile against his lips and Wheeljack teasingly nipped at Ratchet’s bottom lip. Ratchet pressed closer to Wheeljack, opening his mouth slightly. They kissed for a few times before Ratchet rested his chevron against Wheeljack’s forehead.

They laid there for a bit before Ratchet got up and Wheeljack tried to pull Ratchet back into the berth before Ratchet batted his servos away. “We can’t stay here forever.”

“Why not?”

“People might start to wonder where I am,” Ratchet said, frowning and crossing his arms.

“Relax doc,” Wheeljack told him with a chuckle. “I’m sure, I can sneak you around the back and I can wait 10 minutes after you leave to leave myself.”

“Hilarious.”

“Well, relax. I doubt anyone will care so much that you spend the night here or that you are with me.” Wheeljack stood up and wrapped his arms around Ratchet from behind.

Ratchet leaned against Wheeljack. “Maybe.”

“It’s not like we have Magnus to be like team mates shouldn’t blah blah blah. I swear he’s the only mech that had a bigger stick up his aft than you did.”

“Excuse me?” Ratchet narrowed his optics.

“Don’t worry, it’s cuter than his too.” Wheeljack leaned forward to press a kiss on his cheek.

“Hmmm, sure,” Ratchet himself couldn’t help, but roll his optics.

Wheeljack explored his servos around Ratchet’s chassis, as if he was just testing it, waiting for Ratchet’s response. “Maybe we can-.”

He was interrupted by a small knock and then the door opening to reveal Bumblebee. “Wheeljack, sorry to bargain, but have you seen Rat…chet,” Bumblebee’s voice trailed off as he looked up to see the two mechs togethers. His optics growing wide and his door wings drooped downward.

Ratchet felt his cheeks flush and he couldn’t seem to form any words.

Wheeljack meanwhile let go one servo just enough to wave.

Bee looked more shocked than anything, his cheeks were also flush as he continued to stare. Finally, he shook his helm. “I’ll just leave you two alone…” He backed away, bumping into the door and stumbling over his words. “Yeah…uh…see you…too…later. Yeah bye.”

“Oh my primus,” Ratchet said as he realized what had just happened. He felt the urge to cover his cheeks in embarrassment.

Meanwhile….

Wheeljack burst out laughing, slapping his knee.

“It’s not funny,” Ratchet grumbled, frowning.

“Come on, it was,” Wheeljack wrapped his arm around Ratchet’s shoulder. “Bee’s a big bot now, he’ll handle it.”

“I know, but-.”

“But nothing, he’ll just have to get used to you enjoying yourself.”

Ratchet paused to think about it. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

“I can name about 100 at least that you were not.” And then Ratchet was about to continue on before he was interrupted by Wheelack kissing him. Then it was all forgotten.

 

Bee got out of there as fast as he could. He was still mostly in shook from _seeing Ratchet_ , with Wheeljack. He didn’t even want to think about what those two were doing, what they did. Did Ratchet spend the night there? It seemed like it. And yeah, he didn’t want to think about that.

And primus, he felt like a little kid walking in on one of his parents. He rubbed his face tiredly.

He distracted himself by checking in with Fixit. He looked around, most of his team was sleeping in. He was being lenient with it. Specifically, the team members that were sleeping in was mostly Sunstreaker, Knockout, and Smokescreen.

“You know, you look like a guy that already has had a day, and it is only noon,” Smokescreen chirped, sneaking up beside Bee. Okay so maybe not Smokescreen any more.

“SMOKESCREEN, DON’T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT.” Bee jumped away and threw his servos in the air.

Smokey burst out laughing, bending down and resting his hands on his knees. “Your face!”

Bee playfully shoved his shoulder. “Oh shut up.”

“You sound just like Ratchet.”

At the mention of Ratchet, Bee couldn’t help, but groan.

“What?! I just mentioned Rat-wait are you two fighting?”

“No,” Bee said defensively.

“Then why did you groan when I said his name.”

“It’s nothing.”

“You two seemed fine last night,” Smokescreen placed a servo on his hip as he gestured, “In fact, I haven’t seen him all morning. Is he still in his room?”

“No, he’s not.” Bee blurted out before he really thought it through. His cheeks blushed again with embarrassment.

“Oh then where is he then?”

“Uh…Wheeljack’s room,” Bee mumbled the last part.

“What?” Smokescreen let out a laugh. “I thought you said Wheeljack’s place.”

“I did.”

“What was he doing at Wheeljack’s place...oh,” Smokey seemed to clue in.

“Yeah.”

“wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

Bee pressed his servo to his forehead. “It’s just…I was caught off guard.”

“I mean, I guess older mechs have-.”

“ _Smokey!”_

“Sorry. Sorry.” Smokey paused. “You have to get used to it if he’s seeing someone.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“If you can handle decepticons then you can handle the possibly of Ratchet dating.”

“You’re right.”

“You know it,” Smokescreen finger-gunned and took a step back. “Also, I mayornotchallengedSideswipeandKnockoutlastnighttoaracesogottago.” Smokescreen said rapidly before taking off.

“Wait what!?” Bee yelled after him, but Smokey either didn’t hear him or ignored him.

Bee sighed and let him go with a roll of his optics.

He made his way back to the command center. “Any report from Optimus yet, Fixit?”

“Not yet.”

“Try contracting him again.”

“But-.”

“Just do it again,”

“Alright Lieutenant,” Fixit tried again as Bee expected. No answer. He let his shoulders dropp.

“What is so important that you need to contact Optimus for?” Fixit asked.

“You know about the mission, how it seems to be only a tiny part of the grand scheme of things that you don’t know about. How if you look in that tiny part and you just see more gaps, more pieces that you feel like you should know more about, and you need to know and there’s only one known thing that can help.”

“No offensive, Bumblebee, but I don’t understand.”

“It’s like…that you are doing what you are doing, and you wonder, is there a greater purpose and you can’t help, but think…why…am I missing something? Am I missing pieces of this puzzle. Are they being kept from me?”

“I think I might understand, Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, Fixit.”

“No bob-cob-.” Whack. “problem!”

Just then Bee saw a flash of orange paint and he leaped off the control center.

“Hey Ratchet!”

Ratchet turned around, his cheeks seeming to flush again. “Oh. Uh…look, I’m sorry that you had to see that, but I never meant-.”

Bee momentarily forgot about Optimus and his weird dreams. “Are you happy with him? With Wheeljack?”

Ratchet seemed confused for a moment before saying, “I think I am, I think I can be.”

Bee nodded and said. “Okay.”

Ratchet peered at Bee, “That’s not why you wanted to talk is it?”

“No.”

“What is it then, kid?”

“I know, you said that you have no idea what Optimus is planning or when he is going to let us know but I need to know.”

“Bumblebee…”

“Don’t Bumblebee me, I don’t like being left in the dark. I-I I feel like he’s treating me like a little kid and I’m not. I thought I made that clear, but maybe I didn’t. And I can handle it. Even if he doesn’t think I am,” Bee was surprised that is all coming out and surprised by how true everything he was saying was.

“And lately, I have been having dreams, and I have been thinking that I’m forgetting or missing something, and Ratchet, I just need to know.”

Ratchet was staring at Bee for the longest time before sighing. “Okay, we’ll call Optimus.”

Bee’s wings perked up. “Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me, I just think it’s time for you to find out,” Ratchet said quietly as he walked.

He didn’t say anything else on the way there.

 

They get to Ratchet’s ship as when they stepped in, Bee couldn’t help but look around. He had only been in once or twice. He saw Undertone stare at him briefly before turning to Ratchet and it looked like they were having a silent conversation for a minute.

“Come on, this way,” Ratchet gestured for Bee to follow him through the next room.

So he did.

Ratchet sat down in front of a screen, was typing into the computer when they heard…

“Hey! Ratch! Are you talking to Bee about earlier?” Wheeljack poked his head in.

“Wheeljack!” Ratchet jumped and turned to glare at Wheeljack. “Don’t scare me like that, yeah, it’s talked out. We’re about to call Optimus actually.”

“Can I stay?”

“Yeah, please.”

Wheeljack nodded and went to stand behind Ratchet, resting his servos on Ratchet’s shoulders.

Bumblebee stared at Ratchet momentarily before focusing his attention at the screen. He could hear Ratchet calling. Bee felt his servos tremble and his spark pound with nervous and also excitement.

Then Optimus’ face appeared on the screen. He glanced down at Ratchet before realizing Ratchet wasn’t alone. There was a flicker of shock before it returned to normal Optimus calmness.

“Bumblebee, is there something you need or did something happened?”

“Our communication center is fine. Optimus, I need to know what you have been planning.” Bee told him crisply, straightening his shoulders.

“Bumblebee, this isn’t the time or place.”

“When will it be then? Optimus, you can’t just be keeping me and my team in the dark. How can I protect them?”

Optimus let out a sigh.

“Optimus, I think it is time to tell him,” Ratchet spoke up, “He can handle it.”

“Bee can handle what?” Sideswipe said loudly as he pushed himself into the room with Strongarm, Windblade and Grimlock.

“Guys, what are you doing here?”

“Smokescreen told us that Ratchet and Wheeljack hooked up and you walked in on it, and then I saw you and Ratchet go in then Wheeljack, so I thought that I needed to see that,” Sideswipe explained hurriedly. “Hi Op!”

“Hello Sideswipe. Ratchet is this true.”

 “DID SMOKESCREEN TELL THE ENTIRE BASE?” Bee groaned.

“You told Smokescreen?!” Ratchet stared at Bee. “And yes, but that isn’t the topic right now.”

“If you tell me, you can tell my team. We’re all in this together.”

“I can’t believe he quote High School musical to OP,” Sideswipe whispered to Grimlock.

“Very well,” Optimus looked like he was about to continue, but then they all heard someone come in. Optimus’ optics widened but he didn’t seem like he could form words.

“Are you checking in with Ratchet?” said a voice that wasn’t on screen but was definitively in the same room as Optimus.

And it only took half a second for Bee to recognize the voice. He couldn’t forget that voice even if he wanted to. It was the voice that he spent an entire war fighting against. The voice that tortured him once and left him mute. Controlled him once. Even killed him once. It was a voice of a bot that he tried not thinking about after the war, it was a voice that he almost succeeded in not thinking about for months. It was Megatron’s voice.

Then Megatron appeared in the screen, only then realizing who Optimus was talking too and his expression basically said oops I messed up.

Bee took a step back, getting overwhelmed. He couldn’t believe that Megatron was here and it seemed like Optimus was working with him. He felt betrayed and scared because all he could remember is the memories. He felt confused. Shocked. He felt like he needed to run, get away from him. His spark was pounding in entirely new way.

“Bumblebee, it is okay,” Optimus said slowly, nudging Megatron out of the screen. “He’s helping this time.”

Bee didn’t know if he wanted to yell or nod. He tried opening his mouth, but no words were coming. He couldn’t speak.

He took another trembling step backward. He needed air.

Ratchet stood up and reached for him, but Bee backed away from him, ignoring the hurt shown on Ratchet’s face. “Bee, I’m sorry-.”

Bee turned and ran out of the ship, transforming immediately when he got a chance out of the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, when I started this fic, I was in the mood for Ratchet/Wheeljack but I guess it was the end of season 2 with decepticon island was got me thinking to try make a big thing of this fic. Because I was watching it and I thought it was weird that Optimus didn't want to tell Bee who he was working with which make me think on who. Because if it was another members of the team prime, why wouldn't he just say or if it was an autobot team. Which made me think, who is still live or didn't appear yet that Optimus might consider working with but wouldn't want Bee to know exactly....Megatron. Also megop. So I started a fic that worked that into that since rid never actually added that in their own series. 
> 
> Also I think in shattered glass, Windblade and Strongarm are a thing, so I've been thinking that I might re work so they are together and maybe have sideswipe have a bf at some point, what do you think?


	15. Chapter 15-Question Rather than Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh, Bee and the rest of the gang mostly Bee struggle to come to terms with the revelation that Optimus is working with Megatron and yeah that's it basically

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok it didn't take me what 6 months to write this. So there's that. Thanks for the patience.

“Bumblebee! Wait!” Ratchet called after him, starting to get out of his seat.

Wheeljack tightened his grip on Ratchet’s shoulder, forcing the medic to stay seated. “Give him some space, some time to let it sink in.”

Tears pricked Ratchet’s optics. This was not how he wanted it to go. He curled his servos into fists. He wanted to go after Bumblebee, explain to him. Tell him, he didn’t like this either.

“Wheeljack is correct. It is best that we give him the space he needs,” Optimus said with a weary sigh. “This was not what I wanted him to find out.”

Megatron not so subtly put his servo on Optimus. “Atlas, prime, we can’t change that now.”

“I know.”

“WAIT…WAIT, is that Mega-ga-tron,” Strongarm asked, her voice trembling slightly. Her optics widened in fear and she took a step back.

“YEAH, what the scrap. Megatron? Really? Optimus? Why?” Sideswipe burst out, balling his own fists.

“Optimus is doing what he normally does, trying to protect Cybertron and the bots that are a part of it. And I am trying to help him, save it the right way this time,” Megatron assured.

Ratchet closed his optics, trying to swallow some anger that automatically formed whenever Megatron spoke or appeared in general. He knew it wasn’t a good time to get mad.

“How? Why? I don’t understand,” Windblade spoke.

“You do not have to trust him, but he is here to help. I will explain everything when Bee is here. I believe if I came in person and explain…”

“Optimus, is that a really good idea? Bumblebee might not even want to see you right now. And is it a good idea to bring _Megatron.”_ Ratchet grumbled.

“I know, this isn’t ideal, Ratchet…” Megatron started.

“Don’t try to reason with me,” he snapped.

“We are not discussing this. We will talk it out when we get there,” Optimus said firmly.

“Very well,” Ratchet said tightly.

Optimus hung up.

And everyone was silent.

“So that happened,” Sideswipe cleared his intake after a minute.

“Yeah,” Ratchet felt numb about everything. He felt like he got caught in a lie. And he guessed he did get caught in a lie. He had known about Megatron for weeks. Since he got here.  

“Ratchet, what, why was Megatron there?” Strongarm had a pinch of fear in her voice while at the same time felt like she almost was accusing him.

He offlined his optics briefly, trying to think of what to say to them. He fiddled his servos, nervously. “Because Optimus…when he saw what happened to Cybertron while he was gone, he knew it was bigger than him, bigger than us. He needed more bots on his side. And well, Optimus and Megatron, they always were complicated even during the war. I don’t know the details of it or all of it, but-.”

“Believe in Optimus?” Sideswipe guessed, crossing his arms.

Ratchet looked at him sadly and shrugged, “I hope so.”

“Poor Bee, I’ve only heard about reports of his part in the war, and his injury,” Strongarm said, her face softening in sympathy.

Ratchet dipped his head, tears prickling his optics. He already felt the gnaw of his guilt eating at him.

“We’ll have to wait until Bee comes back and then we want until Optimus and let him explain why he’s with Megatron. And better have a good reason.” Wheeljack told them, still grasping onto Ratchet’s shoulders.

Ratchet numbly nodded.

“I don’t know. I don’t like the lieutenant alone for so long,” Strongarm shook her helm. “Not that I think he would do anything rash.” She paused. “At least, I hope.”

“I think I know where he is,” Grimlock announced.

“Hey, Grim…are you sure?” Sideswipe frowned.

“Trust me I know,” Grim perked up and he startled, backing out of the room. “I’ll be right back.” He gave a small wave as he went.

It was quiet again.

Finally, Ratchet cleared his intake, “Maybe, you guys should go and warn the others.”

“Good idea, as acting leader in our leader’s absence, tt is my duty to inform them,” Strongarm saluted and started heading out with Windblade in tow.

“Who said you were in charge, it wasn’t Bee!” Sideswipe grumbled. following Strongarm and Windblade.

Wheeljack waited a moment, “It’s not your fault, sunshine.”

“But I knew about Megatron, and I kept it from-.”

“You were doing what Optimus wanted. I’m sure he had his reasons. I look forward to hearing those reasons.

“Bee is going to hate me.”

Wheeljack turned around and forced Ratchet to look at him, “He will not hate you. Trust me.”

He paused for a moment, “You think so.”

Wheekjack smiled down, “I know this.” He stroked Ratchet’s cheek. “I don’t blame you this.”

“Thank you.” He gave a small smile.

 

Bee ignored the calls of both Jack, Raf, and Smokescreen as he transformed and sped out of there. He just drove. He ignored everything. He needed to escape them. He could still hear Megatron’s voice in his head. He couldn’t make it stop.

Finally, he got to his spot. It was a small cliff that overlooked the forest. He transformed back into his robot mode. He was shaking and gasping for breath. He sat down on the cliff and wrapped his arms around his knees.

He let the tears rush down his face. He didn’t know what else to do. He wasn’t even sure how he is supposed to feel. Was he angry? Betrayed? Upset? He dug his pedes deep in the ground. He felt all of those at once and it overwhelmed. His spark was pounding.

He also felt sick, like he could get sick any moment.

He vented out one strangled breath.

Bee didn’t know what to say or how long he was there until he heard. “Bee?”

It took him a moment to realize it was her name and then other moment to realize it was Grim.

Bee tried to make a quick effort of wiping his tears. “Oh, hey Grim…” He was trying to hold back more tears and his emotions back. It felt thin as glass, ready to break at a given moment.

“Bee…,” Grimlock said softly, his optics showed how worried he was for the yellow mech. “You don’t need to act brave in front of me.”

Something inside Bee broke and he let out a sniff, the tears running down his cheeks already.

He plopped down beside Bee, hanging his pedes over the edge and leaning back on his elbows.

“I-I…why did Optimus bring him back,” Bee said with a sob. He was shaking.

He could see Grimlock hesitant for a second before placing his servo on Bee’s shoulders.  “I wish I knew so I could tell you.”

His shoulder slumped slightly. “Optimus knows what he did…what…” He couldn’t form the words and clenched his fists, trying force himself to. “M-Megatron, he continued the war, he tortured me. Took my voice. He invaded my mind once and made me do things I didn’t want to do. He said he’s changed and then just ran off.” He offlined his optics and placed his face into his servos.

Grimlock gingerly rubbed the space between his upper back between the blades of his shoulders.

“He was pure e _vil.”_

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry, you didn’t do anything.”

“It…I don’t know what else to say,” Grim said with a frown.

“It’s fine,” Bee’s shoulders slumped. He had stopped crying and he felt almost hollow and numb. “Well, I’m not…but…yeah, it’s not your fault.”

Grimlock continued to rub absently at Bee’s back. Bee found that it was calming and comforting, and that it helped him. Bee continued to speak, “I think I was scared of him, he scares me still.”

“That’s understandable, Bee, I would be too. I heard about it, but again I never saw him in person.” Grim paused briefly, “There must be a reason on why Optimus picked him.”

“Maybe,” Bee said with a sigh. “I know bots can change, but even the vilest of them all.”

“I don’t know.”

Bee’s lips pressed together for a moment. “Thanks for listening to me.”

“Anything for you.”

Bee turned his helm and looked in to Grimlock’s optics. And he found himself leaning forward until his lips touched Grim’s lips gingerly. He closed his optics to savour the kiss, but he felt hands on his shoulders, pulling him away. He frowned and opened his optics.

“Not now, Bee. It’s not that I don’t want to, but this isn’t a good time. You are still…recovering from the news.”

“You’re right, sorry,” Bee hung his helm.

“Don’t be, like I said, a different time, it would have been different.”

Bee gave a light smile. “Yeah, under different circumstances, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do you want to be alone,” he asked.

“No, please stay.”

“Anything for you, Bee.”

 

They stayed together for a couple hours just talking and enjoying the sun and view before going back. Bee would be still lying if he said he still didn’t fear Megatron and that he wasn’t mad at Optimus for what happened. But he felt ready to go back and face this. He had to be strong for his team.

He had only walked back through the base when he heard the several familiar voices of his teammates go “It’s Bee!” He could see his team rushing toward him. He felt touched to see his team had been worrying about him.

“How are you feeling, Bee?” Strongarm asked.

He gave a delighted grin, it felt slightly flat. “Better.”

“Good, but just remember we are a team, we’ll help you through it.” Sideswipe reassured.

“Not to mention us, we may have just gotten here, but we are here for you too,” Smokescreen said, gesturing toward Wheeljack, Knock Out, and Aquablast, and even Sunstreaker who just had his arms crossed.

Bee kept his grin. “Thanks guys.”

But he couldn’t help but look around for the only missing bot in the crowd. He finally spotted Ratchet further away, keeping himself separate from the others.

He walked toward Ratchet, intending to confront the other mech about Megatron.

Ratchet turned and looked at him, guilt and regret written all over his face.

And Bee couldn’t do it. He got to Ratchet, stared at him and then wrapped his arms around Ratchet.

Ratchet tensed up in shock before hugging the mech back. “I’m so sorry, Bumblebee.”

“It’s ok, Ratchet, I don’t blame you,” Bee told me, his optics brimming with tears. He meant it. He knew Ratchet wouldn’t intend to hurt him. The situation must have put the medic in a rough spot.

A smile cracked through Ratchet’s faceplates. “Thank you.”

 

_After the rally, Bee and his team stepped away from the crowd and went back in the building to discuss further plans about Cybertron. He could already hear Ratchet coming up with ideas for leading a new Cybertron and how they might make new elections for the new council. Bee smiled, he offered only to stay a few days before heading back to Earth with his team._

_“Well, Ratch, we should consider you one of the members to elect,” Bulkhead said with a small chuckle, patting the medic on the back._

_Ratchet in return tsked, “I’m just a medic.”_

_“Ratchet, old friend, we all know that you are more than just a medic,” Optimus said with a small smile._

_Bee snorted, “Optimus is right.”_

_“Ratchet has my vote,” Jazz said with a beaming smile of his own._

_“Oh, stop that.”_

_“Oh please do,” A tall golden mech stepped through the doors with a small group of mechs behind him._

_“Who are you,” Bee stepped forward, hoping it was not another decepticon. He couldn’t see an autobot badge or a decepticon badge on the mech. “What are you doing here?”_

_The mech looked around the room, not answering the question. “How bothersome, I see you defeated Galvatronus.” He turned to Bee, he didn’t seem worried at all. “You do realize how much work it is to reverse all the damage you’ve done.” The mech looked at his nails, before giving what seemed like an annoyed expression on his face. “However, I guess it’s a good thing, I made Cyclonus think he did this.”_

_“Made him think,” Ratchet questioned, squinting._

_“Whoever you are, you need to answer our question and what is your intent with cybertron.”_

_“My intent with Cybertron, well, other than Cybertron is mine and you are just pests in my way,” the golden mech grinned._

_Bee had enough of this guy and he drew out his decepticon hunter, it instantly transforming into his sword._

_“Oh look, he has a sword,” the mech looked behind him, “Take them boys, make sure they don’t remember this or any of their rebelling in the last few months.”_

_Bee charged at the mech and the mech merely lifted his arm and he remembered falling and then black._

Bee jerked up in his berth, venting heavily and chest plate heaving. _What was that._ His mind was spinning, trying to process this. Was that a dream? It was so vivid in his brain module. Like he experienced this himself. This was different from any other dreams he had before, but he couldn’t help to think they were connected.

He wasn’t sure why he was just saying to remember this dream.

And he wasn’t sure it was only just a dream. It seemed too real to be a dream. He felt like it was a memory of sorts. But if it was a memory then what does it mean? It left more questions than answers. It seemed like he was getting more and more questions nowadays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Grimbee. I'll answer where im going with this eventually within the last couple chapters.


End file.
